LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


JAMIE   PARKEK, 


THE 


FUGITIVE. 


MRS.  EMILY  CATHAEINE  PIER80N. 


"  There  is  no  flesh  in  man's  obdurate  heart , 
It  does  not  feel  for  man  ;  the  natural  bond 
Of  brotherhood  is  severed  as  the  flax 
That  falls  asunder  at  the  touch  of  fire. 
He  finds  his  fellow  guilty  of  a  skin 
Not  colored  like  his  own ;  and  having  power 
To  enforce  the  wrong  for  such  a  worthy  cause, 
Dooms  and  devotes  him  as  his  lawful  prey."— Covper. 


HARTFORD: 
BROCKETT,    FULLER,    AND    CO., 

No.    219    MAIN    STREET. 
1SS1. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  IFORNM 

DAVIS 


ENTERED,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1851, 

By  CHARLES  HENRY  PIERSON, 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Connecticut. 


STEREOTYPED   BY  PRINTED    BY 

RICHARD    H.    HOBBS,  WALTER  S.   WILLIAMS, 

HARTFORD,  CONN.  HARTFORD,  CONW. 


PREFACE. 


THE  materials  of  this  sketch  were  gathered  during  a 
residence  at  the  South.  Pleasant  reminiscences  of  kind 
friends  there,  render  it  impossible  for  the  writer  to 
cherish  sectional  prejudices.  Like  many  southerners, 
however,  she  can  not  shut  her  eyes  to  the  deformity  of 
that  Power  that  casts  so  dark  a  shade  of  guilt  on  our 
land.  Cradled  among  New  England  hills  and  with 
hearty  sympathies  for  the  heroes  of  freedom  of  all  ages, 
and  of  every  country,  she  can  not  view  unmoved  the 
life-and-death  struggles  of  those  now  flying  from  a 
degrading  servitude. 

It  is  believed  that  very  few,  for  a  moment,  even  in 
imagination,  enter  the  cabin  of  the  poor  man  at  the 
South,  putting  their  soul  in  his  soul's  stead — much  less 
dwelling  on  the  minute  and  ever-repeated  details  of  his 
life  of  toil  and  privation.  And  although  thousands  of 
this  class  have  shown  themselves  to  be  men  with  great 
souls,  by  their  aspirations  for  liberty ;  although  they 


IV  PREFACE. 

have  proved  themselves  noble  heroes  by  "  struggling 
with  misfortunes  as  with  a  load,"  by  invincibly  con- 
quering an  opposing  army  of  difficulties — 

"  Breasting  the  dark  storm :  the  red  bolt  defying ;" 

surmounting  all,  and  gaining  the  glorious  boon  of  free- 
dom ;  yet  how  few  of  us  have  followed  with  our  kind 
sympathies,  even  one  of  these  wonderful  overcomers,  in 
his  perilous  course  of  honorable  achievement. 

To  give  a  glimpse  of  the  distresses  of  the  poor 
southern  laborer,  and  of  the  stern  struggler  for  free- 
dom, the  writer  launches  her  little  work  on  the  sea  of 
Public  Opinion.  May  it  plead  effectually  for  the 
hunted  outcast,  and  for  the  three  millions  of  our  en- 
slaved countrymen. 

FEBRUARY,  1851. 


ANALYSIS  OF  CHAPTERS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  planter'^  advertisement.  Some  account  of  Jamie.  Old  Scipio.  Hog 
Minder  General.  Inventory  of  Jamie's  family.  Sketch  of  old  Scipio.  His 
cabin.  Old  Agga.  The  slave  preacher.  The  key  of  knowledge  withheld. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Jamie  in  Scipio's  cabin.    Usefully  employed.    He  commences  learning  to 
read.    Surprise  from  the  patrol.    Jamie  punished  by  the  overseer. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Agga  restores  Scipio.  He  goes  to  the  Quarter  for  Jamie.  Overseer  Brazen's 
management.  Decline  of  Scipio.  Mrs.  Chadwick's  visit.  A  triumphant 
death. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Jamie  a  field-laborer.  A  responsible  character.  The  foreman.  Jinny.  Fore- 
man Ned.  The  field-hands  hoeing  corn.  Aunt  Mag  and  her  bakery.  The 
field  breakfast.  Plantation  hours. 

CHAPTER  V. 

'Lowance  Sunday.  The  key-basket.  Mrs.  Dorothy.  Jamie's  Bible  returned. 
Slave  John's  escape.  Malice  of  Brazen.  Kindness  of  Mrs.  Chadwick. 
Tray.  Sick  Kitt.  Spinning  Jinny.  The  overseer  reprimanded.  Jinny's 
task. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Mrs.  Chadwick  and  daughters  go  North.  Overseer  Brazen's  wife.  Two 
turkeys  missing.  Brazen  and  Ned's  conspiracy.  Mrs.  Brazen  a  literary 
character. 

1* 


VI  ANALYSIS     OF     CHAPTERS. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Letter  from  the  North.    Loss  of  Judy  and  Rose.    Efforts  to  take  them. 
Their  worth.    Mrs.  Chadwick  afflicted     Want  of  money. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

New  sorrow  for  Jinny  and  her  sons.     No  friend  to  help.     Sabbath.     Court 
day. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Jinny's  sons  in  the  court  house  jail.  Auction.  Jamie  sold.  The  sale  of 
Tray.  The  hammer  goes  down  on  little  Kitt.  Similar  articles  disposed  of. 
Sales  necessary.  Redfield's  estate.  Little  Ella.  Contrasts. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Preparation  for  a  journey.  A  bargain  made.  Black  Brownson  exposed  to 
slavery.  Gripe's  disappointment.  Laments  his  stupidity.  Cruelty.  The 
caravan  stops  for  the  night. 

CHAPTER   XL 

The  encampment  supper.    Soul-buyers  helpless.    Jamie's  plan  for  the  escape. 
Slave  fear.    The  flight. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Jinny  a  maniac.  What  the  fugitive  must  expect.  Jamie  and  his  compan- 
ions. The  buyers  at  the  encampment.  A  discovery.  The  pursuit.  Prog- 
ress of  Jamie  and  those  with  him. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

An  encounter.    Fears.    Kind  treatment.     Old  Archy's  plans  for  their  safety. 
They  seek  the  mountain  cave. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

God  made  the  slave's  hiding-places.  The  cave  is  found.  Grape  and  his 
overseer  disappointed.  Return  to  the  encampment.  Go  to  Richmond. 
Slave- dealer's  advertisement.  Sensation. 


ANALYSIS     OF     CHAPTERS.  VU 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Reckoning  with  conscience.      Letter  from  Saratoga.     Mr.   Chadwick  dis- 
tressed.    Writes  to  his  daughters. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Archy  and  Carlo  set  out  for  the  cave.  Gumfrey  and  Tray.  A  happy  meet- 
ing. Sufferings  of  comrades  left  behind.  Jamie  resolves  to  go  to  their  help. 
Discovers  their  hiding-place.  He  gives  them  food  and  persuades  them  to 
follow  him. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Sadness  in  the  cave.  Fifty  huntsmen.  Jamie  and  his  companions  over- 
powered. Rejoicings  at  the  inn.  Rum  the  moderator.  Secret  departure 
of  the  captors. 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Solicitude  in  the  cave  for  Jamie.  Tray's  anxiety.  Ella  is  seized  with  a  rag- 
ing fever.  Archy 's  visit.  He  returns  for  medicine.  Encounters  the  patrol. 
Archy  and  Edy  at  the  cave.  Ella  dies. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Jamie  in  jail.  Gripe's  good  bargain.  Jamie  again  a  field-hand.  Redfield. 
Overseer  Turk.  Jupe,  the  young  giant.  The  deed  of  blood.  Jupe  is 
taken.  Jinny's  grave.  Jamie  escapes.  George  Whitely,  Esq.,  discovers 
that  overseer  Turk  is  dead.  Jupe's  sentence  and  execution, 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Jamie  returns  to  the  cave.  The  fugitives  set  out  for  the  North.  Reach  a  free 
state.  The  good  Quaker.  Important  to  the  South.  Mr.  Whitely  writes 
to  a  Philadelphia  friend.  The  reply.  Conscientiousness. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  New  York  Committee  of  Vigilance  welcome  the  flying  strangers.  Ar- 
rive in  Rochester.  John's  cottage.  Judy  and  Rose.  Meeting  of  the  free 
family.  Conclusion. 


TO 

LOVERS  OF  LIBERTY, 

AND    TO    ALL 

WHO     HAVE     HEARTS    TO     SYMPATHIZE 
WITH    SUFFERING, 

THIS    WORK 
IS  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED. 


JAMIE  PARKER  THE  FUGITIVE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  planter's  advertisement.  Some  account  of  Jamie.  Old  Scipio.  Hog 
Minder  General.  Inventory  of  Jamie's  family.  Sketch  of  old  Scipio. 
His  cabin.  Old  Agga.  The  slave  preacher.  The  key  of  knowledge  with- 
held. 

OUR  hero  is  most  naturally  introduced  by  his  master, 
in  the  following  advertisement : 

"$100  REWARD.  Ran  away  from  the  subscriber,  on  Tuesday, 
Sept.  1st,  my  negro  man,  JAMIE  PARKER.  His  complexion  is  rather 
light ;  he  is  five  feet  eleven  inches  in  height,  well  proportioned,  con- 
verses well,  has  a  pleasing  countenance,  and  as  his  appearance  is 
favorable,  will  doubtless  seek  to  pass  for  a  free  man.  He  is  sup- 
posed to  be  about  22  years  of  age.  He  wore  away  kersey  waistcoat 
and  pants,  somewhat  ragged,  with  an  old  blue  frock-coat.  It  is  sup- 
posed that  he  is  secreted  in  the  woods  in  this  vicinity,  or  making  his 
way  to  the  great  traveled  route  for  the  North.  As  he  went  without 
provocation,  he  will  doubtless  endeavor  to  get  to  a  free  State. 

"  The  above  reward  will  be  paid  to  any  person  who  may  appre- 
hend and  secure  said  servant,  so  that  I  can  get  him  again,  if  taken 
beyond  the  limits  of  this  State,  and  fifty  dollars  if  taken  within  this 
State.  «  GEORGE  WHITELY. 

"REDFIELD,  VA.,  Sept.  2<f,  18 — ." 


10  JAMIE     PARKER 

Jamie  Parker  was  a  native  Virginian,  and  until  about 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  was  attached  to  a  plantation 

in  county,  on  the  James'  river.     The  owner  of 

this  plantation  we  will  call  Charles  Chadwick,  and  the 
plantation  itself,  Monmouth.  Jamie  was  descended 
from  an  illustrious  line,  as  his  fathers  were  kings  in 
Africa.  The  first  of  the  family  that  was  captured  and 
sold,  died  of  a  broken  spirit,  while  9his  little  son,  Scipio, 
more  unfortunate,  lived  to  be  a  slave.  This  Scipio  was 
grandfather  to  Jamie.  The  earliest  years  of  Jamie 
were  the  happiest  he  spent  in  slavery  ;  for  regular  slave- 
tasks  were  not  assigned  him  until  he  was  eight  years 
old.  On  the  Monmouth  estate,  this  was  the  age  at 
which  children  were  considered  capable  of  commencing 
field-work.  It  was  also  the  regulation  on  this  planta- 
tion, that  no  child  should  draw  any  allowance  of  food 
until  old  enough  to  work.  Now  as  all  the  farm  people 
of  the  plantation  went  regularly  to  Monmouth  House 
for  their  monthly  rations,  which  barely  sufficed  for 
themselves,  it  was  no  trifling  inconvenience  to  have  no 
provision  made  for  their  little  ones.  Our  Jamie,  who 
was  the  third  child  of  John  and  Jinny,  might  often  be 
seen,  with  his  half-clad  brothers  and  sisters,  seeking 
food  in  the  forest,  ash-pones*  being  too  scarce  for  the 

"  Ash-pones  are  made  of  corn-meal,  mixed  with  salt  and  water,  to  the 
necessary  consistency,  shaped  and  baked  in  the  ashes. 


THE      FUGITIVE.  11 

father  and  mother  to  satisfy  their  hunger.  But  they 
bore  the  deprivation  very  patiently,  doubtless  thinking 
themselves  as  happy  as  the  birds  and  squirrels,  with 
whom  they  gained  a  scanty  subsistence,  sharing  their  ber- 
ries and  nuts.  Blithe  and  joyous  they  were  nevertheless, 
at  times,  for  childhood  is  mirthful,  and  how  could  they 
realize  a  tithe  of  the  sorrows  of  slavery  ?  Yet  it  must 
be  admitted  that  Jamie  and  his  little  associates  often 
felt  the  pitiless  pinchings  of  hunger;  and  the  time 
went  by,  oh  how  wearily !  for  the  father  and  mother 
being  in  the  field  the  live-long  day,  their  children  must 
amuse  and  take  care  of  themselves  as  best  they  could. 
The  "  Negro  Quarter"  (such  was  the  appellation  of 
the  little  hamlet  of  the  farm  people)  of  the  Monmouth 
plantation,  was  bordered  on  one  side  by  a  forest,  which 
belonged  to  the  estate.  In  the  center  of  this  forest, 
which  was  six  miles  in  circuit,  dwelt  old  Scipio,  grand- 
father of  Jamie.  He  was  superannuated,  and  it  was  his 
business,  since  he  was  too  infirm  for  field-work,  to  take 
charge  of  the  hogs  belonging  to  the  establishment,  forty 
or  fifty  in  number.  Before  old  Scipio's  log-house  was 
a  partial  clearing,  and  it  was  there,  at  stated  times, 
that  he  called  together  the  whole  herd,  to  feed  them, 
and  see  that  none  were  missing ;  for  this  purpose  he 
was  accustomed  to  blow  a  tin  horn.  Old  Scipio  was 


12  JAMIE     PARKER 

no  less  a  personage  than  the  "Hog  Minder  General ;" 
so  he  was  called,  and  in  this  capacity  was  he  entered 
on  the  "Inventory"  taken  yearly  by  the  "overseer." 
At  this  time,  Jamie  being  six  years  old,  a  part  of  the 
inventory  read  thus  : 

"  SCIPIO,  Hog  Minder  General;  supposed  age  70. 
AGGA,  wife  to  Scipio,  old  and  useless  ;  to  be  employed  in  any  way 
to  be  kept  from  idleness  5  supposed  age  68. 
JINNY,  working -woman,  child  of  Agga;  supposed  age  32. 

JUDY,  daughter  of  Jinny,  aged 10. 

ROSE,         "  "         " .     .     8. 

JAMIE,  a  son,  "         " 6. 

TRAY,       «  «         " 4. 

KlTT,          "  «  " 1. 

And  thus  the  inventory  went  on.  giving  the  name, 
occupation,  and  supposed  age  of  all  the  slaves  on  the 
plantation.  Then  followed  a  list  of  the  household  and 
kitchen  furniture,  stock,  plantation  utensils,  &c. 

The  "  first  families  in  Virginia,"  descendants  of  the 
English,  have  coats  of  arms,  genealogies,  and  care- 
fully-kept records  in  their  old  family  bibles.  The  Afri- 
can Virginians,  too,  have  a  carefully-written  genealogy, 
kept  after  the  most  approved  system  of  s/ave-heraldry ; 
the  overseer  himself  being  the  Herald,  or  King  at  Arms. 
Aye,  they  have  pedigree,  title,  and  rank;  they  have  caste 
with  the  plantation  stock ;  are  classified  with  chairs 


THE      FUGITIVE.  13 

and  tables,  stoves  and  kettles,  beds  and  bedding;  all 
goods  and  chattels  under  the  immediate  supervision  of 
the  overseer ! 

We  can  not  refrain  from  giving  a  sketch  of  good  old 
Scipio.  When  young,  he  was  full  six  feet  in  height, 
but  now  somewhat  bowed,  through  toil  and  age.  His 
hair  was  wooly-white  ;  his  head  and  features  indicated 
no  ordinary  mind.  His  natural  superiority  gave  a  cer- 
tain dignity  to  his  air,  with  which  slavery  could  not 
intermeddle.  He  had  the  confidence  of  his  master  and 
mistress,  the  respect  of  the  overseer,  and  the  love  of  the 
farm  people,  to  whom  he  sustained  somewhat  the  rela- 
tion of  Patriarch.  He  meekly  bowed  to  the  trying 
allotment  of  his  condition,  for  he  had  other  than  earthly 
hopes.  He  was  considered  the  main  stay  of  the  plan- 
tation, as  he  had  an  unbounded  influence  over  his  fellow- 
bondmen,  and  never  encouraged  rebellion  or  revolt. 
More  work  was  done,  and  in  better  order,  on  Monmouth 
plantation,  than  on  any  other  farm  in  the  vicinity,  and 
this  was  justly  attributed  to  the  good  moral  influence 
of  Scipio,  which  rendered  the  people  docile,  and  diligent 
in  business. 

As  we  have  said,  he  lived  in  a  comfortable  log-cabin, 
in  the  recesses  of  Monmouth  forest ;  and  just  about  it, 
there  was  enough  of  a  clearing  among  the  ancient 


14  JAMIE      PARKER 

trees,  to  admit  the  sun's  rays  some  two  or  three  hours 
of  the  day.  In  the  rear  of  the  dwelling,  several  oaks 
formed  an  impenetrable  shade,  and  certain  hollies  and 
laurels  wove  an  evergreen  hedge.  This  fastness  was 
a  great  resort  of  the  wild-wood  warblers,  being  fre- 
quented by  the  mocking-bird  and  the  Virginia  red-bird, 
who,  doubtless,  agreed  to  supply  the,  wood  with  music. 
Old  Scipio's  cabin  had  two  rooms,  a  sleeping  apart- 
ment, and  a  kitchen.  Extending  across  one  side  of  the 
latter  was  a  huge  fire-place,  composed  of  logs  and  clay. 
So  large  was  it,  that  the  Hog  Minder  General  could  sit 
in  one  corner  of  it  of  a  winter's  evening,  and  gaze  at  the 
sky ;  old  Agga,  the  while,  sitting  in  the  opposite  cor- 
ner, ceaselessly  knitting,  while  her  dim  eyes  tried  to  spell 
out  the  fire.  And  this  may  serve  as  an  illustration  of 
the  difference  between  them.  Scipio  looked  above,  with 
a  soul  at  perfect  peace,  stayed  on  God.  His  tranquil 
mind  was  like  the  cloudless  sky.  Agga's  gaze  was 
downward.  In  the  inventory  she  was  labeled  "  old  and 
useless ;"  justly,  for  the  light  of  hope  was  all  extinct 
within  her.  At  best,  her  fate  had  been  dim.  Lacking 
the  rich  consolation  possessed  by  Scipio,  the  chains  of 
slavery  were  more  galling  to  her.  Ah,  who  shall  tell 
the  weight  of  woe  crushing  her  for  long  weary  years  1 
Old  in  the  midst  of  her  days,  the  light  and  joy  of  her 


THE      FUGITIVE.  15 

existence  went  out,  when  two  loved  children  were  torn 
from  her  frantic  embrace,  and  sent  to  the  sugar  planta- 
tions of  the  far  southwest !  Now  she  was  not  only 
"  useless"  but  in  a  measure  helpless.  Although  she 
would  sit  by  the  hour  knitting  mechanically,  yet  her 
mind  was  nearly  gone  Old  Scipio,  day  after  day,  pre- 
pared their  simple  meals,  of  which  there  was  seldom 
any  other  variety  than  ash-pones  with  meat,  and  ash- 
pones  without  meat — being  one-fourth  of  the  time  of  the 
one,  and  three-fourths  of  the  other. 

From  a  very  early  age.  Scipio  had  been  the  only 
preacher  for  the  slaves  of  the  Monmouth  plantation. 
Before  he  became  infirm,  the  old  carpenter's  shop  was 
the  Sabbath  rendezvous,  but  when  he  removed  from  the 
"  quarter,"  his  forest-home  became  the  place  of  meeting. 
It  was  a  pleasant  sight  of  a  summer  Sabbath  morning, 
to  see  the  poor  people  gathering  for  worship.  Around 
the  cabin,  a  few  trees  had  been  felled  and  cleared  of 
their  branches,  and  arranged  so  as  to  form  seats  for  the 
little  assembly ;  little  it  was,  for,  in  accordance  with 
the  custom  that  obtains  in  the  country,  none  of  the  peo- 
ple from  the  adjoining  plantations  were  permitted  to  be 
present. 

Old  Scipio  could  read  and  write,  for  in  the  days  of 
•his  childhood,  it  was  customary  for  slaves  to  be  in- 


16  JAMIE      PARKER 

structed.  This  elevated  them,  and  made  them  fitter 
subjects  for  their  lordly  masters.  These  privileges 
were  permitted  in  the  days  of  the  greatest  prosperity  of 
the  old  dominion  ;  why  are  they  now  denied  ?  Since 
the  glory  has  departed,  has  a  more  degenerate  race 
arisen  ?  And  is  it  meet  that  they  withhold  knowledge 
from  their  slaves,  lest  there  be  not  the  proportioned  dis- 
tance preserved  between  master  and  subject,  requisite  to 
make  the  system  perfect  ?  Say  the  legislators  in  effect : 
"  It  was  not  until  the  servants  showed  that  information 
made  them  more  unhappy,  that  it  was  judged  expedient 
entirely  to  wrest  away  from  them  the  key  of  knowledge, 
and  so  rivet  their  chains  more  securely  in  the  dark." 
For  after  the  horrid  Southampton  massacre,  the  ques- 
tion whether  the  slaves  should  be  allowed  to  learn  to 
read  and  write,  became  a  subject  of  legislation* — and 
the  amount  of  the  argument  was,  that  there  would  be 


*  This  attempted  apology  for  the  enactment  of  laws  that  are  worthy  the 
dark  ages  only,  will  not  do  ;  for  long  anterior  to  the  Southampton  massacre, 
Virginia  legislated  to  darken  and  dwarf  the  minds  of  her  enslaved  population. 
In  1849,  she  enacted  the  following  statute : 

'  "That  all  meetings,  or  assemblages  of  slaves,  or  free  negroes,  or  mulattoes, 
mixing  or  associating  with  such  slaves  at  any  meeting-house,  or  houses,  or 
any  other  place,  &c.,  in  the  night,  or  at  any  school  or  schools,  for  teaching 
them  reading  or  writing,  either  in  the  day  or  night,  under  whatsoever  pre- 
text, shall  be  deemed  and  considered  an  unlawful  assembly  ;  and  any  justice 
of  a  county,  &c.,  wherein  such  assemblage  shall  be,  either  from  his  own 
knowledge  or  the  information  of  others,  of  such  unlawful  assemblage,  &c., 
may  issue  his  warrant  directed  to  any  sworn  officer  or  officers,  authorising 


THE     FUGITIVE.  17 

less  cause  for  insurrections,  if  more  privileges  were  taken 
away,  it  being  enacted  that  the  African  Virginians 
should  not  be  permitted  to  learn  to  read  and  write. 


him  or  them  to  enter  the  house  or  houses  where  such  unlawful  assemblages, 
&c.,  may  be,  for  the  purpose  of  apprehending  or  dispersing  such  slaves,  and 
to  inflict  corporal  punishment  on  the  offender  or  offenders,  at  the  discretion 
of  any  justice  of  the  peace,  not  exceeding  twenty  lashes." 

B  2* 


CHAPTER  II. 


Have  we  not  all  one  Father  ? 
Hath  not  one  God  created  us  t" 


Jamie  in  Scipio's  cabin.    Usefully  employed.    He  commences  learning  to 
read.    Surprise  from  the  patrol.    Jamie  punished  by  the  overseer. 

WHEN  Jamie  was  about  six  years  old,  a  petition  was 
sent  up  to  Monmouth  mansion,  praying  that  he  might 
live  with  his  grandfather  Scipio.  The  request  was  re- 
ferred to  Mrs.  Chadwick  by  "Master  Charles,"  her  hus- 
band, and  the  good  lady  quickly  assented,  saying  that 
she  loved  to  confer  any  favor  on  old  Scipio,  "  as  he 
was  the  best  servant  on  the  land."  "  As  long  as  he 
lives,"  said  she,  "  /  shall  know  that  there  is  somebody  to 
pray" 

So,  from  this  time,  Jamie  went  to  live  in  the  cabin  of 
Scipio.  Although  a  ragged  and  forlorn  object,  he  was 
very  happy  in  his  new  home.  He  had  often  visited  his 
grandfather  while  out  on  excursions  in  quest  of  food  in 
the  woods,  and  there  was  a  strong  attachment  between 
them,  such  as  often  is  seen  between  the  grand-parent 
and  grandchild.  The  toilsome  duties  of  the  old  man's 
life  were  nearly  done.  His  task  now,  in  consideration 


THE      FUGITIVE.  19 

of  his  age  and  infirmities,  was  comparatively  easy. 
Jamie's  years  of  hard  labor  had  not  yet  commenced,  so 
they  could  well  sympathize  with  each  other.  The 
good  old  man  seemed,  leaning  his  bowed  form  on  the 
top  of  his  staff,  to  be  reaching  back  to  childhood,  and 
with  delight,  trod  the  same  path  with  Jamie,  instruct- 
ing and  guiding  him  day  by  day.  Jamie  made  himself 
very  useful  to  Scipio  and  Agga,  as  he  gathered  wood 
for  the  fire,  and  went  to  the  spring  for  water.  In  return, 
the  old  man  told  him  Bible  stories,  and  gave  him  relig- 
ious instruction. 

Thus  many  days  passed,  during  which  time  Scipio 
longed  greatly  to  commence  teaching  Jamie  to  read, 
for  seeing  him  so  docile,  apt,  and  sprightly,  he  felt  that 
it  would  be  delightful  to  instruct  him  ;  and  then  he 
thought  what  a  comfort  it  would  be  to  him,  to  be  able 
to  read  the  good  book.  But  in  opposition  to  all  this 
was  the  law  and  its  severe  penalty.  Scipio  considered, 
and  re-considered  the  matter,  and  at  last  resolved  to 
teach  the  boy,  and  brave  the  consequences.  So  one 
day  calling  Jamie  from  his  play,  he  said  to  him,  "  Do 
you  want  to  learn  to  read  ?"  Jamie's  eyes  brightened  ; 
^e  looked  at  old  Scipio,  to  see  if  he  was  in  earnest,  and 
exclaimed,  "  I  do  want  to  learn  to  read !  I  would  die 
for  it !"  And  bursting  into  tears,  he  threw  himself  into 


20  JAMIE     PARKER 

his  arms.  Although  so  young,  he  had  heard  a  great 
deal  said  about  learning  to  read,  and  how  "  Massa  had 
done  forbid  it  on  de  land."  As  he  heard  old  Scipio  tell 
or  read  the  beautiful  Scripture  histories,  he  wished  to  do 
the  same ;  but  in  such  fear  was  he,  that  he  had  not 
told  his  thoughts. 

"  You  shall  learn  to  read,"  said  old  Scipio,  "  and 
have  my  Bible,  and  preach  to  the  people  when  I 
am  dead?"  Then  he  explained  to  the  boy  the  ne- 
cessity of  secrecy,  as  without  it,  all  their  plans  would 
be  vain. 

"I  will  be  like  Scipio,  and  preach  to  the  farm  people 
when  he  is  dead,"  thought  Jamie,  and  with  childish 
eagerness,  with  his  faculties  stimulated  by  an  inspiring 
motive,  he  began  to  conquer  his  letters.  By  the  aid  of 
his  faithful  teacher,  he  was  soon  able  to  spell  out  words 
in  his  Bible.  Old  Scipio  was  delighted.  His  sight  was 
growing  dim,  and  he  was  overjoyed  at  the  thought, 
that  in  a  little  while,  his  darling  Jamie  would  be  able 
to  read  "the  good  book"  to  him.  And  as  he  wove 
baskets  in  the  shade  of  his  cabin,  (the  avails  of  which 
labor  procured  clothes  and  food  for  Jamie,)  he  pictured 
to  himself  the  usefulness  of  "  the  child"  to  the  people 
in  coming  years,  long  after  he  himself  should  be  gath- 
ered to  his  resting-place. 


THE      FUGITIVE.  21 

Meanwhile,  Agga  sat  on  the  log  in  the  chimney 
corner,  quietly  knitting.  Summer  or  winter,  it  was  all 
the  same  to  her ;  there  she  would  knit,  knit,  knit,  by 
the  day  together — gazing  vacantly  on  the  fire  when 
there  was  one,  and  on  the  hearth  when  there  was  not ; 
ever  muttering  to  herself,  "  Poor  children  gone  !  Agga 
old!" 

It  was  thus  that  the  three  were  engaged,  when  one 
day  the  patrol,  going  the  monthly  rounds,  to  see  that 
all  was  right,  according  to  the  established  laws  of  the 
State  and  plantation,  came  upon  them.  There  was  no 
warning  given  ;  Jamie  was  caught  Bible  in  hand,  and 
Scipio  in  the  very  act  of  helping  him  spell  out  a  word. 

"  Hi !  you  old  villyun  !"  exclaimed  one  of  the  patrol, 
"what  may  you  be  up  to  now?  Making  a  saint  of 
that  young  sprout ;  just  as  if  he  had  a  soul !" 

"  Just  as  if  he  had  a  soul !"  echoed  another. 

"  Here's  for  your  interfering  /"  said  a  third ;  and  with 
these  words,  the  ruffian  gave  the  poor  old  man  a  blow 
with  his  cudgel  which  felled  him  to  the  earth,  at  which 
his  cruel  companions  laughed  in  applause.  Each  one 
then  gave  Jamie  a  smart  cufT,  by  way  of  testifying  their 
disapprobation  of  his  willingness  to  be  taught,  and  then 
bidding  him  "  Come  along !"  they  marched  oif  with  him 
to  the  Monmouth  quarter,  and  with  a  great  deal  of  em- 


22  JAMIE      PARKER 

bellishment,  reported  the  grievous  case  to  overseer 
Brazen,  who  immediatelj  took,  as  he  supposed,  effectual 
measures  to  stop  Jamie's  learning  to  read.  After  repre- 
senting to  him  in  the  strongest  colors,  the  enormity  of 
the  crime  he  had  committed,  he  told  him  that  hanging 
ought  to  be  resorted  to,  but  as  he  was  disposed  to  be 
merciful,  he  would  only  whip  him  severely  this  time. 
Then  the  judge,  jury,  executioner,  all  vested  in  the  per- 
son of  the  overseer,  proceeded  to  take  summary  ven- 
geance for  the  broken  laws  of  the  State,  by  applying 
the  ever-at-hand  cow-hide  to  the  naked  back  and 
shoulders  of  the  poor  child.  The  inhuman  being  said 
that  he  administered  his  whip  thoroughly,  so  that  "  he 
done*  forget  what  he  learn  !"  And  not  satisfied  with 
punishing  him  thus,  he  ordered  his  lacerated  wounds 
to  be  washed  in  salt  and  water,  while  the  poor  child 
screamed  for  very  agony.  It  was  well  known  that  the 
overseer  had  his  own  good  reasons  for  insisting  that 
"  the  people"  should  not  be  instructed,  for  he  could 
neither  read  nor  write  himself;  and  in  doing  the  business 
of  the  plantation,  keeping  accounts,  &c.,  his  wife  held 
the  pen. 

The  patrol  represented  to  Brazen  that  they  had  pun- 
ished old   Scipio  sufficiently;  indeed,  for  aught   they 

*    A  common  mode  of  expression  among  ignorant  southern  people. 


THEPUGITIVE.  23 

knew,  they  had  killed  him.  Jamie,  moaning  piteously, 
was  just  able  to  crawl  to  his  old  home.  Jinny,  his 
mother,  dressed  his  wounds,  and  held  him  in  her  arms 
through  the  first  weary  night  of  his  sufferings . 


CHAPTER  III. 

Am  I  not  a  man  and  a  brother  ?' 


'  My  country — 'tis  o'er  thee, 
Dark  land  of  slavery, 

O'er  thee  I  weep. 
Land,  proud  of  Freedom's  name  ! 
Land,  cursed  with  slavery's  shame ! 
Thy  boastings  loud  proclaim 
Thy  guilt  most  deep." 


Agga  restores  Scipio.  He  goes  to  the  quarter  for  Jamie.  Overseer  Brazen's 
management.  Decline  of  Scipio.  Mrs.  Chadwick's  visit.  A  triumphant 
death. 

OLD  Scipio,  stunned  by  the  blow  from  the  patrol,  re- 
mained unconscious  for  some  time,  notwithstanding 
the  efforts  of  Agga ;  for  aroused  from  her  apathy  by 
the  rough  voices  of  the  patrol,  she  raised  her  dim  eyes 
from  the  hearth  just  as  he  fell.  The  scene,  in  its  tur- 
moil and  uproar,  was  not  unlike  that  of  years  gone  by, 
when  two  of  her  children  were  torn  from  her  cabin,  and 
it  was  doubtless  this  association  that  roused  her.  She 
had  no  clear  idea  of  what  was  going  on,  but  tottered  to 
the  door,  bent  almost  double  as  she  was.  moaning  as 
usual,  "  Poor  children  gone  !  Agga  old  !  Children 
gone !  Agga  old  !"  She  saw  that  Scipio  did  not  move, 
for  a  ray  of  reason  dawned  in  her  mind,  that  she  might 


THE     FUGITIVE.  25 

exert  herself  to  restore  him.  She  moaned  as  she  re- 
entered  the  door,  "children  gone!  Agga  old!"  took 
the  gourd,  and  filling  it  with  water  from  the  pail  which 
always  stood  in  the  corner  by  the  door,  tottered  back, 
and  with  her  trembling  hand,  bathed  the  brow  of  Scipio, 
who  drew  a  deep  groan,  and  began  to  be  conscious. 
Agga  mechanically  resumed  her  knitting  in  the  chim- 
ney corner,  and  moaned  on,  as  if  nothing  had  happened 
to  interrupt  her  monotonous  occupation.  Scipio  grad- 
ually recovered ;  his  scattered  senses  returning  by  little 
and  little.  Committing  himself  and  his  cause  to  his 
Father,  he  felt  peaceful  and  happy.  A  sweet  conscious- 
ness of  the  approbation  of  Him  who  looketh  on  the 
heart,  filled  his  soul ;  he  felt  that  it  was  right  to  persist 
in  teaching  his  darling  boy,  and  this  settled,  he  resolved, 
come  life  or  death,  to  go  forward  in  the  work. 

At  length  when  he  was  able,  with  the  aid  of  his 
staff,  he  slowly  picked  his  way  to  the  quarter  for  Jamie. 
While  returning,  the  two  often  sat  down  to  rest  by  the 
way,  for  they  were  very  weak  and  sore.  Scipio  told 
Jamie  of  the  sufferings  of  the  Saviour,  and  how  He  felt 
for  His  poor  suffering  children,  and  then  charged  him 
to  love  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart.  "  That  I  will !" 
said  the  child  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  and  I  would  die 
to  read  about  Him."  So  effectual  was  the  punishment 
3 


26  JAMIE     PARKER 

of  the  overseer !     Scipio  replied,  "  Then  you  shall  learn, 
for  I  would  die  for  it !" 

Meanwhile  Brazen,  thinking  that  he  had  put  a  stop 
to  the  plan  of  Jamie's  learning  to  read,  was  congratulat- 
ing himself  on  his  talent  at  disposing  of  subjects  tend- 
ing to  the  detriment  of  the  general  good,  alias,  his  mas- 
ter's interests. 

11  Slaves  is  mighty  deep  sometimes,"  said  he  to  Mrs. 
Brazen,  as  he  expatiated  on  the  case  of  our  poor  little 
hero,  "  but  turn  every  which  way  an  /  is  a  little 
deeper !"  alluding  to  his  success  in  the  management  of 
the  people  over  whom  he  presided.  He  thought  he  had 
settled  the  matter,  still  he  judged  it  best  to  charge  the 
patrol  to  be  vigilant  and  see  that  the  reading  went  no 
further.  Scipio  and  Jamie  were  on  the  alert,  lest  they 
should  again  be  surprised  and  the  Bible  seized  ;  this  last 
was  a  great  source  of  solicitude,  as  there  were  not  half 
a  dozen  copies  on  the  plantation,  and  none  to  replace 
theirs  should  it  be  taken  away.  The  patrol  were  regu- 
lar in  their  monthly  rounds  ;  sometimes,  however,  com- 
ing upon  them  in  the  shade  of  evening,  and  at  other 
times  early  in  the  day.  Still  Jamie  rapidly  progressed 
in  reading,  and  was  so  fortunate  as  to  elude  detection. 

Scipio  now  became  daily  more  and  more  infirm.  As 
he  was  almost  blind,  it  was  a  great  source  of  comfort 


THE      FUGITIVE.  27 

to  have  the  Bible  read  to  him.  He  could  no  longer  go. 
to  distant  parts  of  the  forest,  to  gather  the  herd  of  which 
he  had  charge,  so  that  this  occupation  devolved  on 
Jamie,  although  only  about  seven  years  old.  Day  by 
day  the  good  old  man  rapidly  declined.  He  was  like  a 
shock  of  corn  ripe  for  the  reaper,  and  it  was  plain  that 
he  would  soon  be  taken  away. 

Mrs.  Chadwick,  hearing  of  his  state,  hastened  to  his 
abode.  It  was  a  bright  autumn  evening.  The  forest 
was  bedecked  in  a  gay  robe  of  purple,  gold,  and  crim- 
son. The  leaves  were  blooming  in  beauty  as  they  de- 
cayed. The  sun  had  not  yet  passed  beyond  the  gates 
of  the  west,  and  the  breezes  which  had  been  out  on 
duty  all  day,  bearing  autumn-perfumes,  went  to  sleep, 
as  he  prepared  to  take  his  departure,  by  gilding  the 
clouds  with  radiant  glory-hues.  Her  path  was  car- 
peted with  brilliantly-painted  leaves,  and  the  forest 
seemed  a  superb  pillared  palace,  hung  with  glowing 
tapestry.  But  her  heart  was  saddened  with  the 
thought,  that  this  lighting  up  of  Summer's  beautiful 
colors,  was  but  the  index  of  death  and  decay 

"  How  tenderly  doth  nature  throw 
Her  parting  smile  on  all  below, 
A  mournful  beauty  that  endears, 
'Mid  all  of  death,  decay  and  tears." 

As  she  reached  the  cabin,  the  sun  had  set.     The  aged 


28  J  A  M  I  E      P  A  R  K  E  R 

• 

disciple  lay  on  his  rude  bed  of  straw,  with  an  Indian 
blanket  thrown  lightly  over  him.  Jamie  sat  by  his  bed- 
side reading  to  him,  but  was  so  engrossed  that  he  did  not 
notice  her  approach.  She  stood  without  by  the  door  and 
listened  while  he  read  the  Psalm,  commencing,  "  The 
Lord  is  my  shepherd."  The  reading  finished,  Scipio, 
with  his  hands  clasped,  repeated  the  fourth  verse,  "  Yea 
though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the.  shadow  of 
death,  I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with  me :  thy  rod 
and  thy  staff,  they  comfort  me." 

She  quietly  entered,  and  Jamie  quickly  attempted  to 
hide  his  Bible  beneath  the  blanket ;  but  by  signs  she 
gave  him  to  understand  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear. 
Agga,  still  nearly  unconscious  of  all  that  was  passing, 
continued  to  sit  in  her  corner,  uttering,  almost  inaudibly, 
"Children  gone!  Agga  old!"  in  the  same  pathetic, 
soul-melting  way  as  ever.  Blind  Scipio  was  not  sensi- 
ble of  Mrs.  Chadwick's  presence.  She  felt  that  she 
was  in  the  house  of  death,  and  would  not  disturb  the 
good  man  in  his  passing  hence.  He  was  very  joyful 
in  %view  of  the  glorious  scenery  of  heaven  seemingly 
before  him,  and  had  few  thoughts  for  earth.  Those 
concerned  little  Jamie,  broken-hearted  Agga,  and  the 
slave-people.  He  offered  a  prayer  for  each,  and  all  of 
them,  and  his  spirit  was  gone  to  God  who  gave  it. 


THE     FUGITIVE.  29 

Jamie,  seeing  that  his  dearest  earthly  friend  was  no 
more,  with  an  overwhelming  view  of  his  loss,  raised  a 
piercing  cry  of  sorrow.  Accustomed  to  uninterrupted 
quiet,  Agga  was  once  again  aroused  from  her  lethargy, 
and  came  to  the  bedside.  A  gleam  of  reason  for  a  mo- 
ment lightened  up  her  darkened  mind  ;  she  knew  that 
Scipio  was  dead.  As  the  truth  burst  upon  her,  she 
screamed  in  heart-rending  agony  and  fell  lifeless  by  his 
side.  Slavery  had  not  been  permitted  to  "  put  them 
asunder,"  and  death  might  not  divide  them. 
3* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

"  1  was  not  born  a  little  slave, 

To  labor  in  the  sun, 
And  wish  that  I  were  in  my  grave 
And  all  my  labor  done." 

Jamie  a  field-laborer.  A  responsible  character.  The  foreman.  Jinny.  Fore- 
man Ned.  The  field-hands  hoeing  corn.  Aunt  Mag  and  her  bakery.  The 
field  breakfast.  Plantation  hours. 

A  NEW  era  now  commenced  in  the  life  of  Jamie.  His 
mistress  took  him  up  to  Monmouth  House  and  treated 
him  very  kindly.  She  told  him  that  he  might  keep 
Scipio's  Bible,  but  that  it  must  be  out  of  sight  and  as 
secret  as  possible,  lest  it  make  trouble  with  the  other 
servants,  who  could  not  read.  "  If  I  had  my  way," 
said  she,  "  every  one  on  the  land  should  learn  to  read  and 
write,  and  as  it  is,  I  shall  teach  all  the  house-servants 
who  will  learn."  It  was  her  wish  to  have  Jamie  in  the 
house  for  the  present,  as  a  waiter,  and  when  older,  to 
be  employed  as  a  dining-room  servant,  to  wait  at  the 
table,  &c.  However,  as  he  gave  promise  of  being  hale 
and  stout,  and  consequently  valuable  as  a  field-laborer, 
this  plan  of  his  mistress  was  over-ruled  by  his  master, 
who  went  for  the  "  main  chance."  and  thought  it  best 
for  him  to  go  to  work  with  the  farm-people,  while  some 


THE      F  UGITI  VE.  31 

one  less  robust  might  be  selected  for  the  vacant  situation 
in  the  house.  So  when  the  child  was  eight  years  old, 
he  was  sent  down  to  the  "  quarter,"  about  a  mile  dis- 
tant ;  the  overseer  being  instructed  to  see  that  he  was 
well  employed.  Accordingly  that  personage  forthwith 
put  him  under  the  care  of  Ned,  the  "  foreman  of  plows 
and  hoes,"  ordering  him  to  get  as  much  work  out  of 
Jamie  as  possible. 

The  foreman  on  a  Virginia  plantation  is  quite  a  re- 
sponsible character.  One  of  the  most  trusty,  strong, 
and  "  likely"  of  the  slaves,  is  selected  for  this  office, 
and  if  he  proves  himself  well-qualified,  is  permitted  to 
keep  the  situation  for  life,  or  rather  till  worn  out,  and 
laid  aside,  like  an  old  garment,  labeled  in  the  inventory 
"  old  and  useless."  In  season  of  plowing,  it  is  his  busi- 
ness to  lead.  In  hoeing,  he  takes  the  "  fore-row,"  and 
sees  that  all  the  people  that  work  with  him  "  keep  up." 
If  they  loiter,  he  is  authorized  to  whip  them,  or  give  in- 
formation to  the  overseer,  who  can  administer  the  pun- 
ishment more  thoroughly  at  the  whipping-post.  The 
same  person  is  "  foreman  of  cradles"  in  harvesting.  He 
is  styled,  "  foreman  of  plows  and  hoes,"  but  he  is  the 
"  boss"  of  the  plantation,  and  is  expected  to  go  ahead 
in  all  kinds  of  work. 

It  will  be  seen,  that  the  amount  of  labor  performed, 


32  JAMIE     PARKER 

depends  very  much  on  the  foreman.  If  he  is  "first- 
rate,"  he  works  the  people  hard,  but  if  he  is  "  easy"  and 
fond  of  "resting  on  his  hoe,"  they  have  a  comfortable 
time  of  it,  when  the  overseer  is  out  of  sight.  The  fore- 
man, of  course,  feels  his  importance  ;  considers  himself 
on  a  par  with  the  aristocracy  of  his  race,  i.  e.  the  house- 
servants.  He  is  looked  up  to  by  the  people  of  the 
quarter  as  a  slave  of  consequence.  They  find  it  for  their 
advantage  to  keep  in  his  good  graces,  as  in  that  case, 
they  are  less  likely  to  be  reported  to  the  overseer  for 
slight  offenses.  A  little  power  with  a  slave,  is  a  dan- 
gerous thing ;  a  tool  he  little  knows  how  to  use.  A 
foreman  has  the  power  of  making  the  people  work,  by 
working  himself,  and  often,  for  the  mere  love  of  exer- 
cising this  power,  will  work  beyond  his  strength.  The 
men  and  women  who  labor  with  him,  through  fear, 
seldom  need  much  force  to  make  them  do  the  cruel 
task  thus  assigned  them.  It  is  the  youngsters,  who 
are  not  "  broken  in,"  that  hang  back  and  require  the 
whip.  The  young  field-hands,  being  unaccustomed  to 
the  yoke  of  patiently  enduring  hard  toil — and  working 
simply  because  they  must^  (although  they  know  that 
this  is  the  only  way  of  drawing  "  'lowance,"  or  rations,) 
work  just  as  little  as  they  can.  So  it  is  thought  neces- 
sary to  "  train  them  in,"  as  refractory  colts  are  broken 


THE      FUGITIVE.  33 

to  the  harness,  or  young  cattle  to  the  yoke,  at  the 
North.  The  field  women  are  generally  required  to 
follow  on,  as  well  as  the  men ;  and  if  they  are  perverse, 
are  treated  with  the  same  severity.  The  overseer  urges 
on  the  foreman,  who  urges  on  the  people,  who  hang 
back  all  they  dare. 

Foreman  Ned,  before  mentioned,  was  sufficiently  con- 
sequential. He  received  Brazen's  order  to  keep  Jamie 
at  work,  with  an  amusing  mixture  of  pomposity  and 
deference. 

"  Certainly,  Massa  Brazen !"  said  he,  with  a  profound 
bow.  It  was  evening,  and  no  work  was  required  of 
Jamie  that  day,  but  Ned  told  him,  with  a  patronizing 
air,  that  he  must  start  in  the  morning  with  the  people 
for  the  field.  The  child  went  to  the  scanty  hovel  of 
his  father  John,  fearing,  he  scarcely  knew  what,  on  the 
morrow.  He  was  glad,  too,  to  nestle  down  in  the  straw 
with  dear  little  Tray  and  Kitt.  But  Judy  and  Rose 
were  missed  from  the  little  one-room  cabin,  as  the  mis- 
tress sometime  before,  took  them  to  the  house,  and  they 
were  already  quite  accomplished  in  their  capacity  of 
serving.  Jamie  had  a  strong  affection  for  his  father 
and  mother,  and  yet  they  had  done  comparatively  little 
to  call  forth  his  love.  Jinny  had  little  of  Scipio's  re- 
signed, tranquil  spirit.  She  could  not  submit  with 
C 


34  JAM  IE     PARKER 

meekness  to  her  situation.  It  galled  her  that  she  must 
work  in  the  field.  She  was  discontented,  and  the 
watchful  overseer  would  often  say,  that  "  she  made 
more  trouble  by  her  sour  looks  and  bitter  speeches,  than 
any  other  woman  on  the  plantation."  He  regarded  her 
with  an  evil  eye,  and  would  gladly  have  taken  occasion 
to  bring  her  to  punishment  for  delinquency,  but  no  such 
occasion  was  to  be  found.  She  regularly  left  her  little 
children  to  "  keep  house"  at  the  cabin,  and  performed 
her  work  in  the  field,  hot  or  cold,  rain  or  shine,  sick  or 
well.  Yet  there  was  a  sullen  frown  on  her  swarthy 
brow,  and  she  groaned  oftener  than  she  spoke.  Brazen 
was  vexed  that  she  did  not  look  cheerful.  He  feared 
that  the  discontent  would  spread,  and  the  result  be  that 
some  would  escape  from  bondage.  We  shall  see. 

Saturday  morning,  memorable  in  the  life  of  Jamie,  as 
commencing  his  field-labor,  dawned  bright  and  clear. 
After  awakening,  he  had  scarcely  time  to  throw  on  his 
clothes,  when  he  heard  some  one  calling  at  the  top  of 
his  voice,  '-Halloa  !  get  up !  Halloa  !"  Running  to  the 
door,  he  saw  "  foreman  Ned."  standing  at  the  entrance 
of  his  cabin,  in  the  center  of  the  quarter,  calling  the 
laborers  up,  to  go  to  work.  Quickly  the  people  were 
ready,  and  proceeded  to  the  field,  John,  Jinny,  and  Jamie, 
being  in  company.  Each  one,  before  starting,  took  a 


THE     FUGITIVE.  35 

lunch  of  cold  ash-pones,  left  of  yesterday's  meal,  and  a 
bit  of  meat,  if  they  chanced  to  have  it.  otherwise  they 
would  naturally  get  hungry  before  breakfast,  which 
was  not  until  twelve  o'clock !  The  work  for  the  day 
was  hoeing  corn.  Jamie  had  his  place  assigned  in  the 
row  with  youngsters,  some  older  than  himself,  who  had 
undergone  the  process  of  "  breaking  in."  Foreman  Ned 
told  him  that  he  must  work  "  right  smart,  and  keep  up," 
or  be  whipped ;  and  then  started  his  own  row  with  the 
laborers.  The  child  tried  to  do  his  best,  and  while  it 
was  cool,  he  succeeded  very  well.  Directly,  however, 
the  sun  grew  hot,  and  as  he  had  been  more  accustomed 
to  the  shade  of  the  woods,  than  the  exposure  of  the  open 
fields,  he  suffered  much  in  attempting  to  perform  his 
task.  About  ten  o'clock,  the  boy  whose  work  it  was 
to  "  tote*  water  to  the  people,"  appeared  bearing  on  his 
head  a  pail-full.  He  placed  it  on  the  ground,  and  the 
thirsty  company  stopped  work  while  a  gourd  was 
passed  round.  Jamie  being  the  youngest  must  wait 
longest  and  be  last  served.  Thirst  being  quenched,  the 
hoes  were  resumed,  while  "  Tony,  the  toter  of  water," 
put  the  empty  pail  on  his  head,  and  went  for  another 
freight.  By  and  by,  when  the  people  were  very  weary, 
noon  came,  their  breakfast  hour.  They  were  not  per- 

*  "  Tote,"  means  to  carry. 


36  JAMIE     PARKER, 

mitted  to  go  to  their  cabins  to  eat  this  meal,  for  this 
would  take 'too  much  time,  and  might  add  to  their 
fatigue.  Breakfast  was  therefore  brought  to  them.  It 
consisted  of  ash  pones,  with  a  small  quantity  of  meat. 

There  was  an  aged  woman,  called  familiarly,  Aunt 
Mag,  who  was  too  "  old  and  useless"  to  work  in  the 
field ;  therefore,  she  was  permitted  to  retire  from  busi- 
ness and  only  have  charge  of  the  bakery  for  the  people. 
The  women  working  in  the  field,  of  course  had  no  time 
to  attend  to  baking  their  bread. 

The  matter  was  arranged  thus.  All  the  people  that 
labored  in  the  field,  men,  women  and  children,  each 
carried  daily  to  Aunt  Mag  about  a  pint  of  meal,  mixed 
with  water  and  salt,  if  they  had  it,  if  not,  they  did  as 
well  as  they  could  without.  Each  one  mixed  his  por- 
tion himself,  in  his  own  dish,  to  guard  against  any 
fraud ;  for,  as  food  is  none  too  abundant  with  them, 
they  are  sometimes  suspicious  of  each  other.  If  the 
meal  is  mixed  and  carried  to  the  baker  by  the  owner, 
there  is  no  possibility  of  losing  any  part  of  it,  as  each 
one  has  a  particular  mark  for  his  pone. 

Aunt  Mag's  bakery  is  an  ordinary  one-room  cabin, 
only  the  fire-place  is  larger,  extending  quite  across  one 
side,  and  is  furnished  with  a  brick  hearth.  This  old 
woman  is  as  neat  as  the  neatest,  and  has  her  own  con- 


THE     FUGITIVE.  37 

siderate  way  of  putting  things  to  rights.  She  certainly 
deserves  a  great  deal  of  credit  for  her  skill  in  doing  her 
work.  As  each  laborer  has  a  mark  for  his  pone,  after 
she  has  flattened  out  the  dough,  she  impresses  this 
mark  on  it,  so  that  the  owner  may  claim  it  when  it 
reaches  the  field.  One  man's  mark  is  a  hole  made  in 
his  bread ;  another's  is  two  holes,  &c.  One  has  a 
cross  ;  another  a  double  cross ;  the  mark  of  each  indi- 
vidual being  perfectly  understood  by  the  baker  and  him- 
self. The  brick  hearth  being  hot,  Aunt  Mag  lays  the 
numerous  pones,  duly  identified,  thereon,  in  something 
of  a  semi-circle  around  the  good  fire.  Sometimes  she 
buries  them  in  the  ashes,  a  much  approved  way  of  cook- 
ing them,  and  hence  the  name  "  ash  pones." 

How  patient  is  the  good  old  woman  !  There  she  is, 
every  hot  summer  day  by  the  fire,  turning  the  corn- 
cakes.  Bent  almost  double,  she  need  not  stoop  much 
to  reach  them,  and  when  they  are  done,  which  is  gen- 
erally about  eleven  o'clock,  she  puts  them  in  the  bread 
basket  ready  for  Tony  to  "  tote"  to  the  people.  If  any 
one  has  any  meat  she  carefully  cooks  it,  and  places  it 
on  his  pone. 

Having  made  this  explanation,  we  will  return  to  the 
corn-field,  for  it  is  breakfast  time.  The  sun  is  directly 
over  head,  pouring  down  his  furnace  rays  as  if  to  wither 
4 


38 


JAMIE    PARKER 


the  earth.  The  laborers  with  foreman  Ned,  have 
reached  the  end  of  the  row,  and  stopping  to  rest  on 
their  hoes,  they  see  at  the  extremity  of  the  field,  the 
boy  with  the  basket  of  bread  on  his  head.  Ned  and 
his  company  raise  a  "  halloa  !"  designed  to  hasten  the 
coming  of  Tony.  The  foreman  then  turns  to  his  fol- 
lowers, and  with  some  spicing  of  authority  says,  "  No 
more  work  till  done  eat  breakfast !"  This  announce- 
ment is  received  with  smiles,  nods  and  murmurs  of 
applause.  The  people  seat  themselves  on  the  grass 
bordering  the  corn,  in  the  sun,  to  wait  the  slow  pace  of 
Tony,  while  Jinny  goes  to  finish  Jamie's  row  and 
release  him,  saying,  "  It  is  right  smart  hard  for  him  to 
work,  such  an  infant  baby  as  he  is  too!"  (John  would 
go  but  Jinny  thinks  of  it  first.)  She  is  soon  by  the 
youngster's  row,  and  tells  Jamie  to  go  and  rest.  The 
poor  child,  ready  to  fall  through  fatigue,  gives  her  his 
hoe,  and  slowly  moves  toward  the  party  who  are  rest- 
ing themselves  on  the  grass  in  the  sun.  The  youngs- 
ters and  Jinny  strain  every  nerve,  and  finish  the  row 
just  as  Tony  comes  with  the  bread,  for  he  was  never 
known  to  be  in  haste.  Ned  observed  that  "  he  was 
right  smart  slower  than  a  snail."  Another  said,  "  turn 
every  which  way^  and  you  could  not  find  nothing  so 
tochally  slow !  de  stand-still  creek  moved  right  smart 


THEFUGITIVE.  39 

faster !"  "  What  would  you  do  if  I  did  not  tote  it  at  all  ?" 
muttered  Tony  to  himself.  He  now  put  down  the  bas- 
ket and  with  the  assistance  of  Ned,  distributed  the  bread 
to  the  people,  every  man,  woman,  and  child,  taking  the 
pone  on  which  was  his  or  her  mark.  As  Jamie  had 
not  been  working  in  the  field,  and  consequently  had  not 
drawn  his  "  allowance"  of  food,  there  was  no  pone  for 
him,  but  John  and  Jinny  gave  him  a  part  of  theirs,  and 
besides  this,  many  offered  to  share  with  him,  their 
eager  hungry  looks  meanwhile  contradicting  their 
words.  Seated  as  we  have  said,  the  poor  people  par 
took  of  their  humble  repast  with  nothing  but  hunger 
to  make  it  relish.  Meanwhile  Tony  goes  for  more 
water. 

The  meal  finished,  foreman  Ned  being  in  a  lazy 
mood,  proposes  to  the  people  that  they  wait  for  the 
water  before  they  go  to  work.  But  fearing  they  might 
be  surprised  inactive,  he  sends  one  of  the  boys  "  around 
the  corner  of  the  field"  to  see  if  overseer  Brazen  is  in 
sight.  The  boy  returns  with  the  intelligence,  "dat 
dere  be  one  man  on  horseback  coming  down  de  road 
like  Massa  Brazen."  "  To  hoes  !"  said  Ned,  in  a  low, 
but  emphatic  tone,  and  directly  all  hands  were  hard  at 
work,  as  if  the  overseer's  eye  were  on  them  The  man 
on  horseback  proved  to  be  only  a  traveler,  and  Ned  took 


40  JAMIE     PARKER 

occasion  to  give  the  boy  a  blow  for  his  innocent  mis- 
take. 

At  last  the  day  passed,  as  all  weary  days  do,  linger- 
ing and  loitering  on  its  way.  The  laborers  rejoiced  to 
see  the  setting  sun,  although  then  their  work  was  not 
done.  "  From  sunrise  to  twilight,"  were  the  hours  of 
labor  on  this  plantation,  and  none  were  permitted  to  go 
to  their  cabin  during  this  time,  except  the  mothers  of 
very  young  children,  who  were  allowed  to  visit  them 
twice  during  the  day,  for  a  few  moments  only.  Chil- 
dren of  six,  seven,  and  eight  years  old  were  the  nurses 
for  the  babes  while  their  mothers  were  in  the  field. 

Twilight  came,  and  the  toil-worn  laborers  returned  to 
their  cabins,  not  like  free  happy  peasants,  to  be  greeted 
at  their  doors  with  the  smiling  faces  of  those  to  whom 
their  labor  had  brought  comfort  and  happiness,  but 
heart-sick  they  entered  unwelcomed  their  dreary  abodes 
of  squalid  poverty,  which  no  efforts  of  theirs  can  hope 
to  make  better.  In  the  sweat  of  their  brows,  others  eat 
bread,  and  so  the  curse  falls  doubly  on  them. 

John  and  Jinny  were  silent  and  sad,  and  Jamie  was 
too  tired  to  play  with  Kitt  and  Tray,  who  had  been  to 
the  woods  for  berries.  As  only  a  few  fragments 
remained  of  the  breakfast,  the  family  were  obliged  to 
go  to  bed  almost  supperless. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"  We  are  verily  guilty  concerning  our  brother." 

'Lowance  Sunday.  The  key-basket.  Mrs.  Dorothy.  Jamie's  Bible  returned. 
Slave  John's  escape.  Malice  of  Brazen.  Kindness  of  Mrs.  Chadwick. 
Tray.  Sick  Kitt.  Spinning  Jinny.  The  overseer  reprimanded.  Jinny's 
task. 

THE  next  day  was  Sunday,  and  foreman  Ned  did  not 
stand  in  the  door  of  his  cabin  and  call  the  people  to 
work  as  on  other  mornings.  All  in  the  little  hamlet 
slept  until  the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens,  for  the  day 
of  rest  was  a  welcome  day  to  them.  At  length  about 
nine  o'clock,  some  were  stirring.  The  men  and  boys, 
and  some  of  the  women,  taking  their  customary  lunch, 
went  up  to  Monmouth  House,  for  this  was  "  'lowance 
Sunday"  as  they  termed  it,  being  the  fourth  Sunday  in 
the  month. 

On  some  plantations  where  there  is  sufficient  reli- 
gious principle,  the  people's  rations  are  given  out  for  the 
month  on  Saturday  afternoon.  At  Monmouth  it  was 
the  custom,  handed  down  from  lordly  ancestors,  to  have 
this  work  done  every  fourth  Sunday  morning,  the  peo- 
ple not  being  spared  from  their  work  to  come  on  Sat- 
urday, to  receive  their  portion  of  food.  There  were 
4* 


42  THE     FUGITIVE. 

three  farms,  dependencies  of  Monmouth ;  each  had  its 
quarters,  the  people  of  which  regularly  presented  them- 
selves for  rations.  Numbering  the  laborers  of  the  three 
farms  and  the  house-servants,  there  were  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  be  fed ;  and  all  their  supplies  must 
come  from  head-quarters  at  Monmouth. 

Laboring  men  were  entitled  to  a  peck  and  a  half  of 
meal  per  week,  women  one  peck,  and  children  one  half 
peck.  A  piece  of  meat  that  would  suffice  for  ordinary 
meals,  two  days,  was  the  month's  allowance. 

As  Jamie  had  commenced  field  work,  he  went  up  to 
"  the  house"  for  his  share  of  food,  besides  he  wished  to 
get  his  Bible  from  his  kind  mistress,  with  whom  he  left 
it,  and  petition  for  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  as  those  given 
him  by  old  Scipio  were  only  rags. 

Ten  o'clock  of  this  lovely  Sabbath  morning,  and  the 
wing  of  Monmouth,  in  which  the  store-room  was  sit- 
uated, was  thronged.  A  hive  of  one  hundred  slaves 
had  come  to  receive  their  wages,  daily  bread.  It  was 
a  new  scene  to  Jamie,  and  timidly  he  clung  to  his  moth- 
er's side.  The  housekeeper,  a  white  person,  soon  made 
her  appearance,  and  with  the  assistance  of  slave  Bill,  the 
gardener,  began  to  measure  out  the  food.  You  may 
know  Mrs.  Dorothy  the  South  over,  for  she  always  has 
in  her  hand  the  key-basket,  at  once  the  insignia  of  her 


J  A  M  I  E     P  A  R  K  E  R  43 

office  and  certificate  of  her  trust  worthy  character.  In 
it  you  may  see  keys  of  all  ages,  sizes  and  descrip- 
tions, from  the  ponderous  rusty  key  that  opens  the  wine 
cellar,  to  the  small  polished  one  that  keeps  safe  the 
work-stand ;  there  they  are,  always  jingling;,  as  the  house- 
keeper is  moving.  The  basket  is  almost  constantly  in 
her  hand,  she  scarcely  sets  it  down  when  she  eats. 
She  mislays  her  handkerchief,  loses  her  thimble,  and 
spectacles,  but  it  has  never  been  recorded  of  her,  that 
she  for  one  moment  forgot  her  key-basket,  and  thus 
tempted  the  servants  around  her  to  steal !  And  mark 
the  diligent  precaution  observed  by  the  careful  body  at 
night,  when  she  takes  the  keys  out  of  the  basket,  locks 
them  in  the  upper  drawer  of  the  bureau,  and  putting  that 
key  of  keys,  the  key  to  the  whole  establishment,  under 
her  pillow,  is  sure  that  all  is  safe. 

Well,  as  before  named,  gardener  Bill  and  Mrs.  Doro- 
thy brought  from  the  store-room  the  rations  of  the  peo- 
ple. Mrs.  Dorothy  prided  herself  on  knowing  "every 
servant  on  the  land,"  and  especially  felt  her  importance 
every  fourth  Sunday  morning,  "  allowance  day"  in  the 
slave's  calendar.  She  flew  nimbly  about,  her  tongue 
running  smoothly,  and  the  keys  jingling  to  keep  time. 
Her  word  was  law  among  those  before  her,  unless, 
indeed,  as  was  often  the  case,  higher  authority,  as  the 


44  THE    FUGITIVE. 

master  or  mistress,  chanced  to  be  present.  The  portions 
were  given  out,  and  the  key-bearer  said,  "  As  fast  as 
you  get  your  'lowance,  you  may  go."  Still  a  great 
number  remained,  for  this  was  the  time  appointed  for 
the  farm  people  to  ask  any  favor,  and  sometimes  it 
seemed  as  if  they  would  never  "  be  done."  There  were 
women  that  wanted  "  mistress"  old  dresses  that  were 
laid  aside,  and  boys  that  spent  the  day  before  picking 
blackberries,  who  had  brought  them  now  to  exchange 
for  molasses.  Men  were  there  who  had  been  permit- 
ted to  keep  poultry,  and  who  had  brought  their  chickens 
to  exchange  for  luxuries,  or  what  were  considered  so  by 
them,  in  their  lowly  lot.  In  short,  as  Mrs.  Dorothy 
expressed  it,  "  we  have  right  smart  of  trade  there  you 
may  depend." 

When  the  portioning  was  over,  the  people  returned  to 
their  respective  quarters,  laden  with  the  next  month's 
provisions.  Jamie  lingered  behind  and  asked  the  house- 
keeper if  he  might  speak  to  mistress. 

"  Dear  me  child,  no  !  Why  should  you  disturb  your 
mistress  ?  I  can  do  any  thing  for  you  that  mistress 
can."  The  child  did  not  reply,  but  still  lingered  ;  this 
of  course  tried  the  patience  of  Mrs.  Dorothy.  "  You 
can't  see  your  mistress  to-day,  so  get  away  with  you !" 
Jamie  recollected  how  old  Scipio  had  mourned  over 


THE    FUGITIVE.  45 

"  allowance  Sunday,"  and  now  he  wished  more  than 
ever  to  get  back  his  Bible,  so  that  he  might  spend  the 
remainder  of  the  day  in  reading  it.  He  knew  where 
his  mistress'  room  was,  so  he  cautiously  entered  that 
part  of  the  building,  and  gently  knocked  at  the  door. 
Rose  herself  opened  it,  and  the  mistress  seeing  him, 
spoke  kindly  and  told  him  to  come  in. 

"  What  do  you  want,  Jamie  ?"  said  she.  "  My  Bible." 
said  Jamie.  "  Rose,"  said  the  lady,  "  get  Jamie's  Bible 
for  him ;  there,  run  home,  I  '11  talk  with  you  another 
time."  The  boy,  with  his  Bible  and  allowance,  accord- 
ingly made  his  way  back  to  the  quarter. 

Two  months  from  the  death  of  Scipio  and  Agga,  had 
passed,  when  overseer  Brazen  discovered  that  Jamie  had 
a  Bible  and  was  guilty  of  reading  it,  notwithstanding 
his  prohibition.  He  was  quite  indignant  at  this,  and 
yet  he  feared  to  punish  Jamie  again,  lest  he  should  be 
unfitted  for  the  hard  labor  assigned  him.  He  thought 
of  an  expedient,  however ;  he  caused  John  and  Jinny 
to  be  whipped  in  his  stead,  alleging  that  they  knew 
that  reading  was  forbidden.  John  was  an  upright 
straight-forward  character,  and  had  heretofore  suc- 
ceeded in  keeping  on  good  terms  with  the  overseer  and 
foreman,  and  consequently  with  his  master.  He  could 
ill  brook  such  treatment,  and  conferring  with  Jinny,  de- 


46  JAMIE     PARKER 

cided  to  attempt  escape  ;  "  John,"  said  she  "  follow  that 
star,"  pointing  to  the  north  star,  "  live  with  the  free  peo- 
ple, get  free  cabin,  free  home,  and  one  by  one  we  will 
come."  So  one  tempestuous  night,  after  kissing  the 
three  sleeping  boys,  and  tenderly  embracing  his  wife, 
the  poor  man  took  his  flight.  The  thunder,  lightning, 
and  rain,  took  away  from  him  all  fear  of  patrol  and 
pursuers.  The  morning  came,  and  when  assembled  in 
the  field,  it  was  discovered  that  John  was  absent.  Jinny 
had  nothing  to  communicate  respecting  him ;  she  could 
not  tell  where  he  was,  very  truly.  Immediate  search 
was  made  for  the  deserter.  Many  years  had  passed 
since  such  an  occurrence  on  Monmouth  plantation,  and 
a  great  commotion  was  raised  as  Brazen  raged  furiously, 
when  the  runaway  was  not  found  by  any  means  which 
he  had  devised.  It  was  in  vain  they  sought  for  him, 
he  had  fled  like  a  frightened  deer  in  the  midst  of  the 
storm ;  and  when  the  morning  dawned  he  found,  many 
miles  away  from  his  cabin,  a  safe  hiding-place  for  the 
day,  in  the  thick  branches  of  a  pine,  upturned  by  the 
tempest,  until  he  could  again  resume  his  journey.  And 
while  he  went  on  under  the  guardian  wing  of  night, 
guided  by  the  star  of  freedom,  rejoicing  in  the  hope  of 
reaching  a  free  country,  his  master  mourned  his  loss, 
even  as  the  loss  of  eight  hundred  dollars ! 


THE    FUGITIVE.  47 

Jamie  found  that  reading  the  Bible  could  only  be  done 
by  stealth.  Therefore,  it  was  never  taken  from  its  hid- 
ing-place in  the  loose  clay  between  the  logs,  except  in 
the  twilight  of  morning,  or  in  the  quiet  night,  when  by 
a  pine  knot  he  would  read  many  a  comforting  passage 
to  his  mother. 

The  idea  that  Jamie  could  read,  was  like  gall  and 
wormwood  to  the  overseer.  As  he  himself  could  not 
read,  he  felt  envious  toward  those  that  could,  and  the 
thought  that  one  inferior  was  superior  to  him  in  knowl- 
edge, was  insupportable.  Besides,  the  discontented 
looks  of  the  mother  had  long  incensed  him,  more  espe- 
cially since  the  father  had  escaped,  and  he  longed  for 
an  excuse  to  wreak  his  smothered  vengeance  on  this 
inoffensive  family.  And  while  one  long  year  passed 
away,  Jamie  and  his  mother  were  punished  several 
times  for  alleged  offenses,  but  really  on  the  score  of  the 
ill-will  of  that  malicious  Brazen.  Still  he  was  not  sat- 
isfied, but  became  more  and  more  embittered  against 
them.  He  determined  to  inflict  the  greatest  punish- 
ment he  could  devise,  which  was  to  have  them  sold, 
in  which  case  they  would  be  separated.  Now  the 
problem  with  Brazen  was,  how  to  get  a  pretext  suffi- 
cient to  accomplish  it.  About  this  time  the  patrol  were 
going  the  rounds,  and  he  gave  them  strict  charge  to 


48  JAM IE    PARKER 

watch  closely  Jinny's  cabin.  Accordingly  two  men 
crept  stealthily  under  the  window,  soon  after  which 
Jamie,  unconscious  of  danger,  lighted  a  pine  knot,  took 
his  Bible  from  its  hiding-place,  and  sitting  down  with 
his  mother  and  little  brothers,  proceeded  to  read.  The 
patrol  waited  while  he  read  one  chapter,  so  that  they 
might  have  the  more  to  accuse  him  of,  and  then  like 
bandits  they  burst  into  the  cabin  and  taking  him,  Bible 
in  hand,  hurried  him  to  Brazen.  "  You  rascal  villyun !" 
said  he,  brandishing  his  whip,  and  grinding  his  teeth, 
"  you  have  not  had  enough  yet,  I  see !"  then  he  gave 
him  the  customary  chastisement,  the  details  of  which 
are  too  painful  to  be  described.  The  poor  suffering 
child  crawled  back  to  his  mother,  who  dressed  his 
wounds  as  well  as  she  could,  and  prayed  that  he  might 
be  free.  Tray  and  Kitt  continued  to  sob,  for  they  fell 
to  crying  when  Jamie  was  taken  by  the  patrol.  And 
while  Jamie  was  groaning  with  pain,  his  mother  in- 
stilled into  his  mind  a  strong  desire  to  escape  from 
bondage. 

There,  on  his  pallet  of  straw,  with  his  wounds  throb- 
bing with  anguish,  Jamie  resolved  to  throw  off  the 
chain,  but,  with  a  consideration  unusual  in  his  years,  he 
would  wait  till  his  little  brothers  were  old  enough  to 
escape  with  him.  Judy  and  Rose  were  maids  to  the 


THEFUGITIVE.  49 

Monmouth  young  ladies,  Pocahontas  and  Virginia; 
and  so  inconsiderable  was  the  intercourse  of  the  sepa- 
rated family,  that  there  was  little  hope  remaining  in 
Jinny's  heart  that  she  should  be  able  to  effect  her  pro- 
ject of  getting  all  her  children  to  the  "  free  country." 
Still  a  glimmering  would  at  times  lighten  the  darkness 
of  her  fears,  that  some  of  them  would  yet  be  free,  and 
it  was  this  that  strengthened  her  to  toil  on. 

As  an  additional  punishment  for  reading  the  Bible, 
the  overseer  kept  the  book.  Besides  this,  he  entered  a 
complaint  with  the  master,  saying  that  "  Jamie  was  the 
most  troublesomest  servant  on  the  plantation ;"  adding 
that  if  he  wished  "  to  keep  his  people  from  running 
away,  he  must  sell  him,  for  he  is  always  in  some  mis- 
chief, right  smart  troublesome,  is  reading  his  Bible,  and 
making  every  body  uncontented ;  and  its  my  mind  that 
he  ought  to  be  sold  out  of  the  way." 

The  master  might  have  yielded  to  the  solicitation  of 
the  overseer,  had  not  the  mistress  interfered.  "  It  is  so 
cruel  to  sell  servants,"  said  she,  "that  I  have  hoped  we 
should  never  be  obliged  to  resort  to  it.  Please  you  re- 
member good  old  Scipio  !  How  the  old  man  prayed  for 
us,  and  Jamie  may  be  like  him  !" 

"  To  be  sure  !  to  be  sure  !"  and  turning  to  the  over- 
seer who  stood  expectant  by,  with  the  never-absent  cow- 
D  5 


50  JAMIE    PARKER 

hide  in  hand,  Mr.  Chadwick  said,  "  It  is  our  wish  that 
the  servants  should  not  be  sold."  At  this,  Brazen, 
obsequiously  asking  if  there  were  any  orders  for  him. 
took  his  leave,  crest-fallen  at  his  want  of  success. 

Jamie,  knowing  well  that  his  mistress  was  disposed 
to  be  very  kind  to  him,  planned  from  time  to  time  to 
appeal  to  her  about  his  Bible.  Almost  a  year  passed 
away  thus ;  for  although  he  went  every  month  for 
"  allowance,"  yet  so  much  did  he  dread  the  overseer's 
anger,  that  he  forbore  to  petition  Mrs.  Chadwick  to 
interfere  in  the  matter.  The  boy  had  enjoyed  some 
glimpses  of  peace,  happiness,  and  comparative  freedom 
during  the  life  of  Scipio,  and  now  the  contrast  was  hard 
to  be  borne.  It  was  grievous  to  him  who  had  so  few 
sources  of  enjoyment,  to  be  deprived  of  the  principal 
one  ;  but  so  it  must  be.  He  wept  and  prayed  that  the 
last  gift  of  old  Scipio  might  be  restored  to  him,  and 
resolved  to  make  an  effort  to  get  it  back,  if  it  cost  him 
his  life. 

Tray  was  now  old  enough  to  w*ork  in  the  field,  and 
had  an  introduction  to  his  labor,  similar  to  Jamie's,  as 
before  described.  Little  Kitt,  now  five  years  old,  was 
left  by  himself  in  the  cabin,  day  by  day.  He  was  a 
feeble,  diminutive  child,  and  needed  much  tender  atten- 
tion. Having  no  one  to  divert  or  take  care  of  him,  he 


THE    FUGITIVE.  51 

gradually  declined.  Every  night,  as  his  mother  re- 
turned dusty  and  weary  from  the  field,  she  would  take 
him  in  her  arms,  and  after  trying  to  persuade  him  to  eat 
some  of  the  morsels  she  so  carefully  saved  for  him, 
would  soothe  him  to  sleep ;  but  he  moaned  and  grew 
weaker  every  day,  and  she  said  to  Jamie,  that  she 
"  almost  prayed  the  Father  to  take  him.  If  he  lives, 
how  can  he  get  to  the  free  country,  and  he  had  better 
die  than  stay  here  !" 

At  length  little  Kitt  was  so  sick  that  his  mother 
could  not  leave  him,  and  the  overseer  finding  she  was 
absent  from  the  field,  prepared  to  make  her  suffer  for  it ; 
but  it  providentially  happened  that  the  mistress  that 
day  paid  her  annual  visit  to  the  quarter,  to  see  a  little 
to  the  condition  of  the  people,  and  finding  how  matters 
stood,  she  approved  of  Jinny's  absenting  herself  from 
the  field ;  so  Brazen  found  it  for  his  interest  to  be  silent. 
Jinny  told  her  mistress  her  solicitude  about  little  Kitt, 
and  how  necessary  it  was  for  her  to  stay  with  him. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Chadwick,  one  thing  is  certain, 
Kitt  must  be  taken  care  of.  I  have  a  plan !.  you  shall 
be  my  spinning  Jinny.  You  may  come  up  to  Mon- 
mouth,  and  I  will  give  you  your  task  with  "  the  spin- 
ners and  weavers  for  the  people."  You  shall  have  a 
wheel  and  loom  in  your  cabin,  and  work  no  more  in  the 


52  JAMIE    PARKER 

field,  for  I  see  clearly,  unless  first-rate  care  is  taken  of 
the  little  fellow,  he  will  die  ;  or  at  least  be  good-for- 
nothing.  You  are  a  good  nurse,  I  dare  say,  and  any 
thing  you  want  for  him,  you  shall  have  by  coming  to 
me. 

Knowing -that  "the  mistress"  was  at  the  quarter, 
Jamie  got  leave  to  run  home,  while  the  laborers  were  at 
breakfast,  and  ask  how  Kitt  was ;  but  his  main  errand 
was  respecting  his  Bible.  "  Bless  my  life,  child !  and 
where  is  your  Bible?"  exclaimed  the  lady.  Jinny  then 
explained  the  course  of  the  overseer,  and  how  the  Bible 
was  taken  away.  "  You  do  well  to  tell  me,"  said  Mrs. 
C. ;  and  then  saying  something  to  herself  about  taking 
Brazen  to  task  for  abusing  her  servants,  she  arose  to  go. 
"  Remember,"  said  she  to  Jinny,  "  remember  to  come  up 
to  Monmouth,  Monday  week,  when  I  give  out  cotton  to 
the  spinners."  In  a  glittering  carriage,  drawn  by  gay, 
beautiful  horses,  she  was  borne  back  to  her  splendid 
mansion — with  a  mind  at  ease,  think  you  ?  Was  there 
not  a  spoiler  of  her  peace  ? 

Mrs.  Chadwick  whirled  home  in  her  carriage,  com- 
forting herself  that  she  had  gone  through  with  the 
penance  of  visiting  all  the  cabins  at  the  quarter,  adjust- 
ing matters  as  well  as  they  could  be  adjusted  in  the 
nature  of  things.  She  found  overseer  Brazen  at  Mon- 


THE    FUGITIVE.  53 

mouth,  transacting  business  with  her  husband,  and 
made  him  understand  directly  that  she  was  not  pleased 
with  his  treatment  of  Jamie.  Said  she,  "  I  've  no  idea 
of  having  my  servants  abused,  that  I  have  not !  Mark 
me,  Mr.  Brazen,  that  Bible  must  be  returned  to  Jamie 
forthwith ;  and  he  has  my  permission  to  read  it."  Mr. 
Brazen  wished  himself  of  size  reduced,  that  he  might 
retire  unobserved  through  the  key-hole,  while  Mr. 
Chadwick,  evidently  pleased  at  the  spirit  and  energy  of 
the  lady,  told  the  confounded  knight  of  the  cow-hide, 
to  do  as  she  had  said.  He  assented ;  and  as  the  busi- 
ness was  finished,  in  deep  mortification,  mounted  his 
horse  and  rode  slowly  homeward,  resolving,  if  the  thing 
could  be  done,  to  effect  the  sale  of  Jamie,  Tray  and  Kitt, 
as  he  judged  that  this  would  most  agonize  the  mother ; 
for,  in  addition  to  other  causes  of  his  ill-will,  before-men- 
tioned, he  now  accused  her,  in  his  own  mind,  of  com- 
plaining of  his  treatment  of  Jamie.  But  he  found  it 
expedient  to  smother  his  hate  for  a  more  favorable  time, 
when  it  might  freejy  burst  into  flame. 

Kitt  now  had  a  regular  course  of  fever,  yet  his  mother 
went  for  the  cotton,  as  directed,  and  procured  from  her 
mistress  sundry  things  that  he  needed  for  his  comfort. 
The  spinning-wheel  was  brought,  and  she  commenced 
her  task,  which  was  to  spin  two  pounds  of  cotton  per 
5* 


54  JAMIE    PARKER 

week,  besides  taking  care  of  little  Kitt.  His  fever 
raged  higher  and  higher,  and  Jinny  became  so  alarmed 
about  him,  that  one  rainy  day  she  despatched  Jamie  to 
his  mistress  to  ask  if  she  might  have  a  doctor? 

"  Certainly !"  replied  Mr.  Chadwick,  "  certainly !  it  is 
a  pity  to  lose  the  boy,  he'll  be  wanted  in  the  field  by 
and  by." 

He  then  directed  him  where  to  go  to  find  the  physi- 
cian of  the  neighborhood.  The  doctor  gave  Jamie  some 
medicine  for  Kitt,  which,  with  Jinny's  careful  nursing, 
was  the  means,  under  Providence,  of  his  recovery. 
Jinny's  troubles  were  not  over ;  he  continued  feeble  a 
long  time,  and  needed  much  more  attention  than  her 
task  would  allow  her  to  give  him.  She  had  learned  to 
spin  when  young,  but  was  not  familiar  enough  with  a 
wheel  to  make  easy  work  of  what  she  was  required  to 
do.  Had  she  been  free,  could  she  have  felt  that  her 
daily  toil  was  making  her  husband  and  children  more 
comfortable  and  happy,  then,  indeed,  it  would  have  been 
accomplished  easily,  with  an  elastic-  step  and  buoyant 
heart.  It  was  not  so  now.  Jinny's  step  was  slow  and 
languid,  for  hope  was  nearly  extinct  in  her  heart,  and 
her  task  was  a  burden.  Yet  she  would  not  complain, 
for  this  was  "  no  comparison  better  than  to  leave  her 
little  boy,  and  go  into  the  field." 


THE    FUGITIVE.  55 

There  was  a  day  of  rejoicing  to  the  inmates  of  that 
cabin,  when  the  overseer  gave  Jamie  back  his  Bible, 
although  it  was  a  cruel  threat  that  he  should  "  remem- 
ber and  serve  'em  right  yet  !'* 


CHAPTER  VI.. 

"  Year  after  year  of  bondage, 
The  self-same  story  told." 

Mrs.  Chadwick  and  daughters  go  North.  Overseer  Brazen's  wife.  Two 
turkeys  missing.  Brazen  and  Ned's  conspiracy.  Mrs.  Brazea  a  literary 
character. 

YEARS  passed  away,  in  which  nothing  worthy  of  note, 
differing  essentially  from  that  which  we  have  recorded, 
occurred.  Jamie  and  Tray  had  grown  up  to  manhood. 
Kitt  had  recovered,  and  was  able  to  work  in  the  field ; 
and  Jinny  had  made  herself  so  useful  with  her  wheel 
and  loom,  that  it  w^as  thought  best  at  Monmouth  to 
keep  her  thus  employed. 

About  this  time,  Mrs.  Chadwick  made  a  tour  North, 
taking  with  her,  her  daughters,  the  Misses  Pocahontas 
and  Virginia,  with  their  maids,  Judy  and  Rose.  They 
were  to  visit  Niagara  in  company  with  southern  friends, 
and  then  go  to  Saratoga,  and  spend  the  summer. 

Overseer  Brazen's  wife  was  a  notable  manager. 
Besides  making  a  great  quantity  of  butter  to  sell,  from 
their  two  cows,  she  kept  a  large  poultry  yard,  with  the 
proceeds  of  which,  during  ten  long  years,  she  had  kept 
her  husband's  purse  well  lined,  as  she  expressed  it,  "  had 
kept  their  nest  well  feathered."  It  happened  that  some 


THE    FUGITIVE.  57 

of  the  residents  at  the  quarter,  thinking-  that  ash-pones 
were  poor  living,  stole  two  of  Mrs.  Brazen's  fat  turkeys. 
The  next  morning,  while  her  cook  was  getting  break- 
fast, the  overseer's  lady,  as  usual,  went  out  to  count 
and  feed  her  turkeys,  and  directly  found  them  minus 
two.  The  alarm  was  given  by  Mrs.  Brazen  to  her  hus- 
band, by  running  in  and  putting  the  house  in  commotion, 
and  instituting  a  search.  The  overseer  himself  searched 
every  cabin  at  the  quarter  to  gain  a  clue,  if  possible,  of 
the  fate  of  the  missing  poultry.  He  looked  in  vain, 
found  nothing  that  threw  the  least  light  upon  the  sub- 
ject, until  he  carne  to  foreman  Ned's  cabin.  There, 
among  the  high  rank  weeds  that  surrounded  it,  his 
eagle-eyes  actually  saw  feathers,  which  he  identified  as 
belonging  to  his  wife's  turkeys. 

"  Now,"  thought  Brazen,  "  this  is  just  as  I  'd  have 
it !"  But  not  a  word  was  said  about  the  discovery  until 
Ned  came  from  his  work  at  night-fall,  when,  as  he  was 
about  to  enter  his  cabin,  the  overseer  astounded  him  by 
putting  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  Ned  !"  said  he,  eyeing  him  sternly.  u  Massa, 
Massa  Brazen !"  stammered  Ned,  trembling  from  head 
to  foot. 

"  Ned!"  continued  he,  "jest  look  into  the  weeds  with 
me,  will  you  ?" 


58  JAMIE     PARKER 

"  Massa  Brazen,"  replied  Ned,  desperately  composed, 
"  what  you  mean,  massa  Brazen  ?" 

"  Ned,"  said  the  overseer,  slowly  and  sternly,  "  you 
done  stole  Mrs.  Brazen's  Christmas  turkeys !" 

"Not  I,  massa !  I  hold  myself  'sponsible  to  prove  that 
I  never  done  stole  de  turkeys,  by  right  smart  proof!" 
said  the  foreman,  tremblingly  trying  to  gain  time.  » 

"  Ned,  it' s  useless  to  talk  with  me  !  I  am  an  old  fox ! 
I  Ve  found  you  out !  you  stole  the  turkeys,  you  sat  up 
last  night  with  some  of  the  people  to  eat  'em  up,  and 
now  I  shall  tie  you  to  the  whipping-post,  and  cow-hide 
you  within  an  inch  of  your  life !" 

"  Oh,  massa  Brazen !"  implored  Ned,  falling  on  his 
knees,  "  Mercy !" 

"  I  will  have  justice  done !"  responded  the  injured 
man. 

"Oh  massa  Brazen!"  pleaded  Ned,  "save  me  de 
whipping,  and  I  '11  make  baskets  for  you  every  night  of 
my  life !" 

"  You  deserve  to  die,  Ned,  to  be  sure !"  said  the 
overseer,  more  coldly,  "but  there  is  one  way  by  which 
you  can  avoid  it." 

Ned  looked  up  inquiringly. 

"  If  you  will  prove  that  Jamie,  Tray  and  Kitt,  stole 
Mrs.  Brazen's  turkeys,  I'll  forgive  you.5' 


THE    FUGITIVE.  59 

"  Sartain,  mass-a  Brazen.  I  have  only  to  done  put  de 
feathers  which  dey  leff  at  my  cabin,  at  dere  door,"  said 
Ned,  taking-  the  overseer's  hint,  and  falling  into  it  with 
all  the  cunning  of  his  nature ;  continued  he,  "  I  will 
swear  'spressly  dat  I  seed  'um  take  dem  two  turkeys 
from  off  de  peaceable  roost ;  is  dat  what  you  want  ?' 

"  Exactly,  Ned,"  said  cow-hide,  "  now,  get  up,  and 
see  that  you  stick  to  it,  that  you  saw  Jamie,  Tray  and 
Kitt,  steal  Mrs.  Brazen's  Christmas  turkeys." 

"Dat  I  will  most  amiable!"  said  Ned,  delighted  to 
escape  a  whipping  by  any  means. 

"  Now,  Ned,  after  you  have  scattered  bones  and  feath- 
ers around  Jinny's  cabin,  come  right  to  '  Brazen  Hall,' 
(the  new  name  of  his  little  snug  domicil,)  and  take  my 
commands  to  Monmouth." 

With  these  words  Brazen  and  Ned  parted,  the  for- 
mer going  home  to  tell  his  wife  that  he  had  found  the 
thieves  to  be  Jamie,  Tray  and  Kitt,  and  that  he  wished 
her  to  write  to  that  effect  to  Mr.  Chadwick  ;  for  as  we 
have  mentioned,  he  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

"  Do  tell !  you  don't  say  so,  Mr.  Brazen !"  exclaimed 
the  fat  lady,  "  well,  I  never !  dem  is  de  cunningest  ser- 
vants, I  rnuss  say !" 

"  Deep  as  the  creek !  the  villyuns !"  echoed  the  over- 


60  JAMIE    PARKER 

seer,  meanwhile  industriously  beating  his  boot  with  his 
whip. 

"  Well,  as  you  say,"  replied  his  wife,  after  a  long  talk 
about  the  matter,  "  I  muss  lose  no  time  in  writing  it  all 
down  to  Mr.  Chadwick." 

Sajdng  this,  the  old  lady,  for  she  was  some  twenty 
years  the  senior  of  her  husband,  who  had  become  at- 
tached to  her  for  the  sake  of  her  one  thousand  dollars, 
which  he  set  down  as  a  prize  worth  more  than  the  in- 
cumbrance  by  which  it  was  accompanied,  looked  for 
her  spectacles,  then  for  an  old  goose-quill,  with  which 
she  had  written  for  several  years,  the  tea-cup  that 
served  as  ink-stand,  and  the  blank  leaf  torn  some  time 
previously  from  Jamie's  Bible.  These  materials  gath- 
ered, this  interesting  lady  composed  herself  into  the  fol- 
lowing note : 

Mistur  Chadwic  Squir 

Sir  you  muss  please  to  no  that  Jamy  Kit  and  tra  has  stol  my  to 
bess  turkees  which  I  was  fattin  on  purposly  for  your  table  at  Mon- 
niouth  Tha  was  my  to  bess  pet  turkees,  an  I  has  been  in  morning 
all  the  blessed  day  for  their  loss  on  your  account  to  be  sure  Mistur 
Brazen  says  we  cant  live  no  longer  with  them  three  thevin  servants 
and  if  you  cant  no  how  sell  them  he  muss  be  excused  from  his 
Office  as  soon  as  may  be  Resp'y  &c 

Tuesday  night  BETSY  BRAZEN 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    DECISION. 

Letter  from  the  North.    Loss  of  Judy  and  Rose.    Efforts  to  take  them. 
Their  worth.    Mrs.  Chadwick  afflicted.    Want  of  money. 

THURSDAY  evening's  mail  brought  as  usual  a  bundle 
of  letters  and  papers  for  Monmouth.  Among  them  was 
a  letter  from  Mrs.  Chadwick,  which  read  as  follows : 

SARATOGA,  N.  Y.  July  15,  18—.  ^ 

DEAR  CHARLES  : — How  shall  I  tell  you  what  has  happened  ?  I 
have  reason  to  fear  that  Judy  and  Rose  have  left  us,  as  they  have 
not  been  seen  for  two  days.  Wednesday  night  the  girls  and  myself 

attended  a  splendid  party  given  by  Gen.  — : ,  (a  description  of 

which,  had  we  not  met  with  such  a  misfortune  in  the  loss  of  our 
servants,  would  have  been  the  subject  of  this  letter,  but  now  I  have 
no  heart  to  mention  it.)  When  we  returned  to  our  rooms  from  the 
party,  we  did  not  find  the  maids  awaiting  us  as  usual.  As  there 
'were  quite  a  number  of  chamber-maids  about  the  establishment,  I 
thought  they  must  be  loitering  with  them,  although  I  had  forbidden 
it  entirely.  I  rang  the  bell  and  desired  the  waiter  to  send  Judy  and 
Rose  to  me  directly  ;  he  returned  in  a  few  moments  saying  that  they 
were  not  to  be  found  in  the  house.  I  was  alarmed,  and  knew  not 
what  to  do,  but  slipped  a  five-dollar  bill  into  his  hand  and  directed 
him  to  find  them  before  he  returned.  Pocahontas  and  Virginia, 
wearied  to  death,  threw  themselves  on  their  beds  without  undressing, 
and  thus  they  slept  the  whole  of  that  blessed  night. 

6 


62  JAMIE     PARKER 

I  did  not  then  feel  much  alarmed  about  the  servants'  escaping.  I 
never  borrow  trouble,  and  I  set  my  heart  at  rest,  thinking  they  were 
tired  waiting  for  us,  and  forgetting  themselves  had  fallen  asleep  in 
some  part  of  the  house,  where  they  were  overlooked.  I  doubted  not 
they  would  be  in  waiting,  to  assist  us  to  dress  in  the  morning,  but  it 
did  not  turn  out  so. 

At  eight  o'clock,  just  as  I  awoke,  I  heard  a  knock  at  the  door, 
and  the  waiter's  voice  saying,  "  Madam  Chadwick,  your  servants 
can  not  be  found !" 

"  They  must  be  found  !"  I  exclaimed,  and  making  my  toilet  with 
all  possible  despatch,  I  was  actually  down  stairs,  before  nine  o'clock, 
taking  measures  to  send  after  the  supposed  runaways.  The  pro- 
prietor of  our  boarding-house  said  they  had  doubtless  started  for 
Canada ;  and  if  that  is  the  case  thought  I,  it  is  useless  to  pursue  them. 
Now  I  think  of  it,  I  do  recollect  when  we  were  returning  from 
Niagara,  seeing  a  person  that  much  resembled  our  John,  but  then  it 
<3ould  not  have  been  he,  he  can  not  be  changed  so  much  5  for  all  the 
world  he  had  the  air  of  a  free  white  man.  Whoever  he  was,  he  had 
something  to  say  to  Judy  and  Rose,  and  when  I  talked  with  them 
about  it,  they  appeared  indignant  that  he  had  noticed  them.  I 
thought  no  more  of  it  until  Tuesday  last,  when  I  saw  the  same  du- 
plicate of  John  passing  the  hotel. 

I  accordingly  cautioned  Judy  and  Hose  to  keep  near  us  in  our 
rooms,  and  so  avoid  him,  which  they  seemed  ready  to  do.  Yet  it  is 
not  impossible  that  this  was  their  father  John,  who  may  have 
allured  them  to  Canada. 

I  wrote  an  advertisement  offering  two  hundred  dollars  reward  for 

their  apprehension  ;  but  Gen. ,  whom  I  consulted,  said  it  was 

useless  to  advertise  in  this  free  country,  so  I  laid  it  aside. 

I  sometimes  fear  this  loss  of  the  servants  has  come  upon  me  for 
having  so  often,  when  tried  with  them,  wished  them  in  Africa.  I 
never  wished  them  in  Canada,  I  am  sure. 

Although  much  fatigued  by  the  trial  and  excitement  consequent 
on  the  eloping  of  the  maids,  my  health  is  tolerably  good.  Our  phy- 


THEFUGITIVE.  63 

sicians  say  that  Congress  water  will  have  the  effect  of  restoring  Po- 
cahontas  entirely,  if  we  remain  the  season.  Notwithstanding  our 
troubles,  this  is  our  choice,  if  you  approve.  I  do  so  much  regret  that 
affairs  at  home  will  not  permit  you  to  be  with  us. 

I  am  now  sensible  that  we  made  a  grand  mistake  in  our  plan  of 
educating  Pocahontas  and  Virginia.  I  had  not  the  least  idea  that 
they  were  so  dependent  on  Judy  and  Rose,  until  they  left.  They 
are  as  helpless  as  two  dolls.  They  kept  their  room  almost  the  whole 
of  yesterday,  hoping  the  maids  would  come  and  assist  them  in  their 
toilet,  their  meals  being  sent  up  to  them.  To-day  they  have  man- 
aged to  aid  each  other,  but  I  regret  to  say  that  they  are  not  well 
dressed. 

What  a  treasure  was  our  Judy  !  She  was  worth  her  weight  in 
gold.  You  know  she  was  as  ingenious  as  a  Yankee,  and  had  the  ad- 
mirable faculty  of  doing  every  thing  comme-il-faut.  Her  taste  in 
mantua-making  was  superb,  and  I  had  more  confidence  in  her  judg- 
ment of  dress,  than  in  my  own.  It  is  difficult  to  say  how  I  shall 
get  along  without  her,  as  she  always  made  my  toilet  for  a  party,  and 
Rose  was  just  as  indispensable  to  the  girls.  If  indeed  they  have 
been  decoyed  to  Canada,  they  will  doubtless  get  home-sick  and  be 
glad  to  come  back  to  us.  Indeed  we  have  always  been  kind  to 
them,  and  they  went  away  without  the  slightest  provocation.  We 
shall  be  obliged  to  hire  white  servants  in  their  places  for  the  present, 
which  I  much  regret,  as  it  will  be  so  expensive. 

The  girls  send  best  love  to  papa,  and  beg  a  few  hundred  dollars 
more,  as  they  really  need  more  ball  dresses,  and  more  jewelry,  to 
produce  that  impression  that  is  so  desirable.  Pocahontas,  by  paying 
a  little  more  attention  to  dress  and  appearance,  will  be  the  belle  of 
the  season  decidedly. 

Very  few  of  these  northerners  seem  to  sympathize  with  us  in  our 
misfortune,  as  southerners  would.  If  I  may  j  udge  from  this  trial,  they 
are  not  a  whole-hearted  people,  and  not  very  generous  in  seeking  to 
alleviate  the  afflicted.  Indeed  I  am  glad  that  I  am  not  a  wrong- 
headed,  cold-hearted  northerner.  Yet  these  people  have  some  very 


64  JAMIE    PARKER 

interesting  traits,  and  the  society  is  excellent  in  this  place.     To-day 
I  have  met  some  delightful  people  from  Georgia. 

Pocahontas  and  Virginia  will  write  soon,  meanwhile  send  much 
love,  in  which  j  oins,  Your  devoted 

MARY. 

Charles  Chadwick,  Esq.,  was  greatly  afflicted  by  this 
letter.  The  prospect  for  crops  for  the  season  was  very 
poor,  owing  to  the  drouth,  and  he  felt  that  he  could  ill 
afford  to  lose  any  of  his  house  furniture,  or  plantation 
stock.  He  was  pacing  his  room  in  a  great  tempest  of 
mind,  when  Gregory,  the  dining-room  servant,  brought 
in  Mrs.  Brazen's  note,  sent  "  by  Ned." 

"  Bless  my  life  !"  exclaimed  Mr.  Chadwick,  as  he 
read  the  rare  missive,  "  bless  my  life,  like  Job's  mes- 
sengers, what  will  come  next?" 

"  Gregory !  here,  tell  Ned  to  send  Brazen  to  me 
directly !"  The  messenger  went  his  way,  and  for  about 
one  hour  before  the  overseer  made  his  appearance,  Mr. 
Chadwick  continued  pacing  the  room,  considering  what 
was  best  to  be  done. 

"  Brazen,"  said  he,  when  the  overseer  arrived,  "lam 
in  want  of  money.  The  young  ladies'  servants  have 
made  off  for  Canada." 

"  You  don't  say  so  !"  exclaimed  the  man  addressed. 
"/am  in  want  of  money  /"  continued  Mr.  C.,  "  and  our 


THE     FUGITIVE.  65 

force,  will  be  still  large  enough,  if  we  make  sale  of  some 
of  the  people.  There  is  no  other  alternative.  Jamie, 
Tray,  and  Kitt  must  be  sold  /" 

"  Richly  deserve  it !"  said  Brazen,  "  done  made  more 
mischief,  double  and  thribble  in  a  manner  I  may  say, 
than  all  the  lads  on  the  plantations,  that  they  have  ! 
Why  there  was  Mrs.  Brazen's  two " 

"I am  in  want  of  money''  interrupted  Mr.  C.,  "the 
plantation  is  getting  overstocked,  and  next  court  day, 
you  may  take  Jamie,  Tray  and  Kitt,  since  they  are  dis- 
posed to  steal  turkeys,  and  sell  them  to  the  highest 
bidder !"  "  Exactly !  I'll  see  it  done !"  said  the  over- 
seer eagerly,  chuckling  within  himself  at  the  turn 
things  were  taking. 

"  That  is  all!"  said  Mr.  Chadwick,  waving  his  hand, 
when  his  deputy  withdrew  without  further  ceremony. 

E  6* 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

New  sorrow  for  Jinny  and  her  sons.    No  friend  to  help.     Sabbath.    Court 
day. 

NED  faithfully  executed  Brazeri's  orders  about  leaving 
some  of  the  bones  and  feathers  around  Jinny's  cabin. 
This  was  done,  among  other  reasons,  that  the  poor 
inmates  might  see  the  weighty  proof  against  them,  and 
have  nothing  to  say.  The  next  morning  the  overseer 
started  early,  just  as  the  Foreman  and  Co.  were  going 
to  the  field,  and  stopping  the  three  whom  he  had  bribed 
Ned  to  prove  guilty,  he  told  them  to  walk  back  to  the 
cabin  with  him,  when,  pointing  to  the  bones  and  feath- 
ers, he  said,  "  I  see  that  you  have  made  a  supper  of  my 
turkeys  !"  The  boys  were  perfectly  confounded.  They 
understood  enough  of  Brazen  to  know  that  it  would  be 
useless  for  them  to  offer  a  word  in  self-defense.  Even 
Jinny,  who  had  just  got  out  her  wheel,  ready  to  go  to 
work,  was  silent.  She  knew,  since  her  mistress  was  at 
the  North,  that  there  was  no  one  to  whom  she  could 
appeal  for  redress,  and  that  all  she  could  do  was  quietly 
to  submit  to  just  what  the  oppressor  judged  best  to  lay 
upon  her.  "  Yes,"  said  Brazen,  "  you  ate  my  turkies ! 


THE      FUGITIVE.  67 

but  you  will  hear  of  it  again  !  Go  to  your  work,  you 
thieves !" 

The  three  sorrowful  brothers  obeyed,  and  as  they 
toiled  that  long,  long  day,  their  hearts  were  swelled  to 
bursting.  They  were  conscious  of  innocence,  but  there 
was  no  one  to  plead  their  cause.  At  night  they  talked 
over  their  sorrows  with  their  mother. 

"  We  must  bear  it  all,"  said  she,  "  for  we  are  poor 
slave  people!" 

Jamie's  soul  rose  within  him,  "  I  will  be  free,  or  die !" 
said  he. 

'•  So  will  I !"  echoed  Tray. 

"  And  I  too  !"  said  little  Kitt. 

"  I  pray  the  Father  that  you  may  all  be  free,"  said 
Jinny.  "  And  Jinny  too,"  said  Kitt  nestling  close  by 
her  side.  «  Yes,"  said  she,  "  I  do  pray  the  Father  that 
we  may  all  be  free." 

Saturday  passed  in  the  usual  toil,  and  the  grateful 
day  of  rest  dawned,  the  last  day  that  this  sorrowful 
family  were  to  spend  together,  and  although  they  knew 
it  not,  yet  there  seemed  a  presentiment  of  evil  over- 
shadowing them.  They  were  gladdened  in  the  morn- 
ing of  this  day  by  hearing  of  the  escape  of  Judy  and 
Rose.  They  went  to  the  wood,  the  place  where  old 
Scipio  had  lived,  and  there,  amid  the  sacred  solitude, 


68  JAMIE     PARKEE, 

they  kneeled  down  and  prayed.  Jinny  had  implanted 
a  thirst  for  freedom  in  her  daughters,  before  they  were 
old  enough  to  leave  her,  and  overjoyed  that  they  had 
escaped,  she  knelt  down  by  old  Scipio's  and  Agga's 
grave,  and  with  her  sons  offered  heart-felt  thanksgiving 
to  God.  It  was  a  holy,  blessed  day  of  rest  to  this 
mother  and  her  boys,  and  they  lingered  to  read,  talk, 
and  pray,  in  the  calm  cool  of  the  forest  until  evening, 
when  they  returned  to  their  lonely  dwelling.  Monday, 
court  day,  came,  and  almost  every  body  went  to  the 
"  Court  House,"  as  the  little  village  around  that  build- 
ing was  called. 

Court  day  is  to  the  little  villages  and  surrounding 
plantations  of  the  South,  what  town  meetings,  or  elec- 
tion day  is  to  the  towns  of  the  North ;  there  is  a  great 
gathering  in  both  cases,  and  a  general  exchanging  of 
news  and  opinions.  Court  day  is  the  first  Monday  in 
each  month,  and  after  the  court  has  set,  is  the  time 
fixed  for  all  Sheriff's  sales,  whether  of  furniture,  cattle, 
horses  or  servants;  hence  the  court  house  on  that  day 
is  a  place  of  great  resort  to  the  planters,  overseers,  and 
all  people  who  are  on  the  look-out  for  good  bargains,  or 
wish  to  know  what  is  going  on. 

Overseer  Brazen  had  instructed  Ned  to  tell  Jamie  and 
his  brothers,  on  Monday  morning,  that  they  were  not  to 


THE      FUGITIVE.  69 

work  in  the  field,  but  await  his  orders  at  their  cabin. 
The  overseer  came  to  Jinny's  hut  about  nine  o'clock, 
and  said  to  the  lads,  "  Come,  stir  yourselves  !  go  with 
me ;  it 's  court  day,  and  you  are  wanted  at  the  court 
house !"  To  Jinny  this  announcement  was  a  blow 
which  felled  her  senseless  to  the  floor,  and  then  the 
heart-bursting  brothers  were  torn  away  by  the  merciless 
Brazen.  His  carryall  was  at  the  door,  and  directing 
the  three  to  get  in,  he  followed  with  old  Jeff,  the  driver, 
and  they  moved  off  as  fast  as  the  horse  would  go.  After 
a  ride  of  about  two  miles,  the  "  goods  and  chattels,"  were 
conducted  from  the  carryall  to  the  jail  for  safe  keeping, 
until  four  o'clock,  at  which  time  the  auction  sales  were 
to  commence. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THREE   ARTICLES   SOLD,   AMONG    OTHER   THINGS. 

"  Tell  me  not  of  rights ;  talk  not  of  the  property  of  the  planter  in  his  slaves.  1  deny  the  right ; 
I  acknowledge  not  the  property.  The  principles,  the  feel  ings,  of  our  common  nature,  rise  in  re- 
bellion against  it.  Be  the  appeal  made  to  the  understanding  or  to  (he  heart,  the  sentence  is  the 
same  that  rejects  it.  In  vain  you  tell  me  of  laws  that  sanction  such  a  claim.  There  is  a  law 
above  all  the  enactments  of  human  codes,  the  same  throughout  the  world,  the  same  in  all  time  ; 
such  as  it  was  before  the  daring  genius  of  Columbus  pierced  the  night  of  ages,  and  opened  to  one 
world  the  source  of  power,  wealth,  and  knowledge,  to  another  all  unutterable  woes;  such  it  is  at 
this  day ;  it  is  the  law  written  by  the  finger  of  God  on  the  heart  of  man  ;  and  by  that  law,  un- 
changeable and  eternal,  while  men  despise  fraud,  and  loathe  rapine,  and  abhor  blood,  they  shall 
reject  with  indignation  the  wild  and  guilty  fantasy  that  man  can  hold  property  in  man."— Lord 
Brougham. 

Jinny's  sons  in  the  court  house  jail.  Auction.  Jamie  sold.  The  sale  of 
Tray.  The  hammer  goes  down  on  little  Kitt.  Similar  articles  disposed  of. 
Sales  necessary.  Redfield's  estate.  Little  Ella.  Contrasts. 

WE  left  poor  Jinny  insensible.  It  was  almost  noon 
when  she  became  conscious  of  her  deep  bereavement. 
"  My  Father  !"  prayed  she,  in  her  agony.  "  must  they 
be  all  sold  ?"  and  then,  as  if  nerved  and  strengthened 
by  an  inspiring  thought,  she  arose  from  the  earthern 
floor,  and  applied  herself  to  her  task  at  the  wheel,  that 
she  might  go  down  to  the  court  house,  and  see  what 
would  become  of  her  boys. 

The  poor  lads  passed  a  sad,  weary  day  in  the  jail. 
They  were  put  in  a  damp,  moist,  grated  room,  dark  and 
gloomy.  One  half  hour  before  the  sale  came  on,  over- 


THE     FUGITIVE.  71 

seer  Brazen  came,  and  conducting  them  from  their  cell 
into  a  better  apartment,  gave  them  some  food  and  ex- 
amined their  appearance,  as  it  was  important  that  they 
should  show  to  the  best  advantage. 

The  crowd  having  assembled,  the  servants  to  be  sold 
being  led  in  by  the  constables,  the  auctioneer,  hammer 
in  hand,  takes  his  stand  directly  in  front  of  the  village 
tavern,  the  jail  being  on  the  right  and  the  court  house  in 
the  rear.  Jamie  is  first  produced,  old  Scipio's  darling, 
the  child  of  his  prayers,  the  lad  who  from  his  earliest 
years  was  haunted  by  the  spirit  of  freedom,  he  is  to  be 
sold  at  public  auction,  his  bones  and  sinews  and  immor- 
tal spirit  to  be  bartered  for silver. 

He  is  led  out  from  the  group,  for  there  were  more 
slaves  to  be  sold,  belonging  to  broken-down  farmers, 
and  placed  on  a  hogshead,  so  that  he,  the  article  under 
consideration,  may  de  seen  by  all  present. 

He  is  perfectly  calm  and  self-possessed,  and  with 
folded  arms  awaits  his  disposal.  Wrapt  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  his  own  title  to  himself,  which  no  con- 
veyance to  another  can  destroy,  there  he  stands,  dis- 
daining to  show  any  emotion  while  he  is  made  the 
gazing-stock  of  gentlemen  of  the  bar,  judges,  lordly 
planters,  overseers,  and  nigger-buyers,*  to  say  nothing 

*  The  name  of  those  who  buy  slaves  to  sell  again. 


72  JAMIE     PARKER 

of  the  scape-gallows  loafers,  who  constitute  the  digni- 
fied patrol  of  the  neighborhood.  In  the  back  ground, 
supporting  herself  against  the  side  of  the  house,  stands 
a  lone  weeping  mother.  Having  toiled  at  her  wheel, 
and  accomplished  her  task,  with  an  eager  step  she  has 
sought  this  market-place  to  be  present  at  the  sale  of  her 
heart's  treasure ! 

The  auctioneer  begins,  thus  introducing  the  youth  : 
"  This  servant's  name  is  Jamie.  He  is  twenty-one 
years  old,  from  a  good  family,  and  has  an  excellent 
character ;  the  alleged  offense  for  which  he  was  sold, 
had  been  conveniently  forgotten.  Who  '11  give  us  a  bid, 
gentlemen  ?"  "  Seven  hundred  dollars,"  cries  a  planter, 
thinking  how  much  he  needs  a  house-servant.  "  Gen- 
tlemen," said  the  auctioneer,  "  I  am  offered  seven  hun- 
dred, dollars  for  this  princely  servant!  Why,  bless  my 
life !  one  so  likely  and  well-built,  active,  and  sound 
throughout,  is  worth  twice  that  sum  !'3 

"  Seven  hundred  and  fifty,"  screams  out  another  in 
want  of  a  groom. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  auctioneer,  "  too  cheap  en- 
tirely, come,  bid  up  gentlemen !" 

"  Eight  hundred  dollars,"  cried  one  in  want  of  a  field 
hand. 

"  You  understand  the  subject,  I  perceive,  sir,  and  yet 


THE     FUGITIVE.  73 

the  trifle  you  offer  is  as  nothing-.  Gentlemen,  arouse 
ye  !  Here  's  this  truly  valuable  servant  just  a  going  for 
eight  hundred " 

"  Eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  !"  bawls  the  nig- 
ger-buyer, and  the  hammer  goes  down. 

Jamie  is  removed  and  Tray  is  placed  on  high.  He 
stands  with  downcast  eyes,  while  despair  and  mental 
agony  are  legibly  written  on  his  face. 

The  auctioneer  proceeds  :  "  This  slave's  name  is 
Tray.  He  is  nineteen  years  of  age,  family  and  charac- 
ter good.  He  is  clever  and  smart,  entirely  sound,  teeth 
good  ;  has  been  accustomed  to  the  field,  but  will  make 
a  good  groom  or  mechanic.  Start  the  bid,  gentle- 
men." 

"  Six  hundred  dollars,"  cries  McClinch,  an  overseer. 

"  Six  hundred  dollars  bid,"  says  the  auctioneer;  "any 
advance  on  six  hundred  ?  Remember  his  many  quali- 
fications, and  show  how  you  appreciate  merit,  gentle- 
men !" 

"  Six  hundred  and  fifty,"  sings  out  the  fat  landlord, 
Webster  Webb,  on  the  qui  vive  for  a  waiter. 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,  sir,"  said  the  man  of  the 
hammer,  u  you  deserve  the  whole  lot.  Gentlemen, 
here  !s  this  strong,  active,  clever,  and  likely  servant,  just 
u  going  at  six  fifty." 


74  JAMIETAllKER. 

"  Seven  hundred  dollars  !"  cried  out  a  planter,  for  the 
sake  of  his  corn-field. 

''Decided  improvement,  sir;  you  surpass  yourself, 
sir !  the  hammer  is  tempted  to  fall ;  any  advance  on 
seven  hundred  1  Just  a  going,  once,  twice,  come  bid 
up,  gentlemen." 

"  Seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,"  cries  another  gen- 
tleman, in  behalf  of  his  blacksmith  shop. 

"  Eight  hundred  dollars  !"  says  Gripe,  the  buyer  for 
the  Richmond  market,  and  the  hammer  goes  down,  for 
who  can  compete  with  him  ? 

It  was  now  little  Kill's  turn  to  be  sold.  Tray  was 
removed,  and  the  j^oungest  of  the  little  flock  placed  in 
view  of  all.  Jinny  had  borne  her  grief  thus  far  in  silent 
agony,  but  now  her  bleeding  heart  found  relief,  in  a 
loud,  wild,  tumultuous  cry,  which  thrilled  the  motley 
crowd  like  an  electric  shock.  Long  and  shrill  was  the 
scream  which  rose  to  heaven,  from  that  poor  bereaved 
mother ;  and  the  God  who  listened  to  the  voice  of 
Abel's  blood  crying  from  the  ground,  heard  that  lone 
woman.  It  was  her  youngest  born,  with  whom  she 
had  watched  through  his  weary  nights  of  pain.  She 
had  seen  him  slowly  recover,  and  received  him  as  one 
from  the  dead.  She  would  have  buried  him  without  a 
murmur,  but  it  broke  her  heart  to  have  him  sold  into 


THE      FUGITIVE.  75 

bondage  more  helpless  than  that  in  which  he  was 
born. 

The  child  echoed  the  maniac  scream  of  his  mother, 
and  sought  in  his  distress  to  spring  from  the  stand  to 
her  side.  But  the  attempt  was  vain.  The  rough  grasp 
of  the  constable  was  on  him,  and  he  was  again  hoisted, 
and  notwithstanding  the  confusion,  the  auctioneer  was 
told  to  go  on.  But  the  mother's  shrieks  and  the  child's 
echoes  continued,  and  several  voices  from  the  crowd 
added  somewhat  to  the  tumult,  by  loudly  vociferating, 
"  Take  her  away  !  away  with  her  !"  Accordingly  the 
constables,  in  the  exercise  of  "  their  duty,"  tore  poor 
Jinny  away  and  confined  her  in  one  of  the  cells  of  the 
jail  hard  by,  till  the  sale  was  over,  and  the  overseer 
was  ready  to  take  her  home. 

The  crowd  getting  settled  into  something  like  com- 
posure, (although  still  hearing  the  wailings  of  the  be- 
reaved mother,)  the  auctioneer,  after  clearing  his  throat, 
went  on  to  say,  that  Kitt  was  sixteen  years  of  age, 
likely,  well  built,  although  a  dwarf,  and  rapidly  getting 
sound.  "  Gentlemen,  give  us  a  bid  !" 

"  Four  hundred  dollars,"  cries  the  overseer  from  Oak  hill. 

"Four  hundred  bid  for  this  excellent  servant.  Just 
the  right  age  to  make  himself  useful.  Bid  up,  gentle- 
men !  Don't  sob  so  loud,  Kitt." 


76  JAMIE      PARKER 

• 

"  Four  hundred  and  twenty  dollars,"  bids  one  in 
search  of  a  miller. 

"  Thank  you,  sir  ;  that 's  better,"  said  the  auctioneer ; 
"  any  more  bids  ?  Here 's  this  very  valuable  servant  just 
a  going  for  four  hundred  and  twenty  dollars  ;  just  a 
going,  once,  twice, " 

"  Four  hundred  and  forty,"  bids  Gripe,  the  nigger- 
buyer. 

"  Four  forty,  four  forty  is  bid,  any  more  bids,  gentle- 
men? once,  twice,  three  times" — so  down  went  the 
hammer  that  sealed  the  fate  of  little  Kitt. 

But  time  and  space  fail  to  describe  the  sale  of  the 
branded  things  with  souls,  at  this  auction,  for  similar 
articles  were  placed  on  the  hogshead,  and  cried,  until  a 
lot  of  twenty  (including  Jinny's  sons)  had  been  disposed 
of,  and  the  nigger-buyer  became  the  owner  of  them  all. 
The  freedom  of  each  of  these  beings  was  bartered  to 
him.  Stolen  property  was  sold  under  the  most  aggra- 
vated circumstances,  for  the  true  owners  were  there, 
and,  with  pleading  looks  and  many  tears,  beseeching  it 
to  be  restored  to  them.  The  slaveholder  reasons,  "  You 
are  my  property,  and  what  have  I  besides  ?" 

Says  outraged  humanity  in  the  slave,  "  You  have 
LIBERTY." 

"  I  can  not  give  up  my  property !"  says  the  planter. 


THE     FUGITIVE.  77 

• 

"  Give  me  my  liberty  !"  pleads  the  bondsman. 

"  Down  slave !"  says  the  master ;  "  your  liberty  is 
mine !" 

"Does  massa  want  two  liberty?"  expostulates  the 
slave. 

"  Away  dog !  to  your  toil !  what  could  you  do  with 
your  liberty  ?  You  CAN  NOT  TAKE  CARE  OF  YOURSELF  !" 

"  Massa,  you  take  your  liberty  and  let  me  have  mine, 
then  we  see  who  take  care  of  himself  best." 

To  return.  The  slaves  sold  after  Jinny's  sons,  be- 
longed to  an  estate  in  the  neighborhood,  the  proprietor 
of  which  had  been  called  away  to  give  account  of  his 
stewardship  in  another  world,  and  as  he  could  not  take 
his  goods  with  him,  they  must  be  sold. 

When  a  planter  dies  at  the  South,  it  sometimes  hap- 
pens that  his  estate  can  be  portioned  off  among  his 
heirs  without  selling  any  part  of  it.  But  in  most  cases, 
in  order  to  make  an  equal  division,  where  there  is  no 
will,  it  becomes  necessary  for  the  parties  concerned,  to 
engage  in  the  slave-trade  for  a  time.  The  charges 
which  conscience  and  humanity  bring  against  this 
course,  are  evaded  by  considering  the  stern  necessity  of 
the  case.  Take  for  an  illustration  the  estate  of  Red- 
field,  the  grandfather  proprietor  of  which  made  his 
money  by  trading  in  slaves  ;  in  other  words,  he  was  a 


78  JAMIEPARKER 

• 

"nigger-buyer."  Of  course  a  curse  followed,  vulture- 
like,  and  preyed  on  him  till  he  took  his  own  life,  seek- 
ing to  hide  himself  in  the  grave  from  the  gaunt  train 
of  specters  that  haunted  him.  Peace,  joy.  and  life, 
consumed  away  in  him,  and  he  was  left  like  a  tree  in 
the  desert,  blighted  by  the  lightning  of  heaven — dead, 
ere  it  fell,  awaiting  but  the  blast  of  the  fierce  furnace- 
breath  to  be  laid  low,  and  be  covered  by  the  drifting 
sands.  Self-destroyer,  he  made  his  own  funeral,  and 
the  earth  rejoiced,  for  she  was  rid  of  one  foul  excrescence 
which  deformed  her.  But  the  curse  still  preyed  on  the 
family,  as  we  shall  see.  At  the  death  of  the  grandson 
of  the  Redfield  "nigger-buyer,"  his  estate  was  found 
encumbered  with  debts ;  a  part  of  which  were  the 
father's  who  had  died  in  early  life,  and  who,  although 
he  died  a  sot,  nevertheless  had  a  credential  epitaph  on 
his  tombstone,  and  a  pious  paper  obituary.  When  the 
grandson  died,  whose  death,  by  the  way,  was  hastened 
by  a  wound  received  in  a  duel,  the  estate  was  so  involved 
as  to  render  a  sale  necessary.  If  that  had  not  been  the 
case,  his  two  sons,  Frank  and  Fitz,  being  at  sword's 
points,  could  never  have  agreed  on  a  division  of  the 
plantation,  men,  women,  and  horses,  &c.  And  all  will 
perceive  that  an  auction  sale  was  loudly  called  for,  and 
extremely  proper,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  coun- 


THE     FUGITIVE.  79 

try.  As  we  have  before  intimated,  this  desirable  sale 
happened  on  the  same  day  that  the  turkey  thieves, 
Jamie  and  his  brothers,  were  disposed  of.  Now  it  must 
not  for  a  moment  be  supposed  that  Frank  and  Fitz 
Mammon  received  the  visits  of  any  of  the  family  of 
Compunction,  because  they  were  about  to  trade  in  "  the 
bodies  and  souls  of  men :"  O  no,  indeed,  Conscience, 
being  seared  with  a  red-hot  iron,  had  taken  her  leave 
years  before,  doubtless  thinking  it  idle  to  waste  her  ad- 
monitions on  such  reprobate  drinkers.  They  were  gen- 
tlemen, and  got  drunk  upon  wine,  and  just  before  coming 
to  this  auction,  became  much  intoxicated  on  the  last 
jiipe  of  Madeira,  which  had  long  ago  been  cellared  by 
the  slave-dealing  family.  Yet  they  considered  them- 
selves immensely  capable  of  attending  to  business. 

The  first  that  was  sold  after  the  hammer  went  down 
upon  poor  Kitt.  was  one  little  Ella,  of  the  Redfield 
estate. 

"  Hi,"  says  a  whisper  in  the  crowd,  "  that  article  is  a 
little  bit  of  a  magnificent." 

"  A  rare  beautiful  piece  of  ebony  that,"  echoes  an- 
other. 

And  while  they  are  calculatingly  discussing  her 
merits,  let  us  stop  and  pity  her,  for  I  fear  there  is  not 
one  to  feel  sympathy  for  her,  in  all  that  crowd.  One ; 


SO  JAMIEPARKER. 

yes,  there  are  Jamie  and  his  brothers ;  their  chains  con- 
stitute a  bond  of  sympathy ;  they  do  feel  for  her. 

Ella  is  sold,  and  sixteen  besides,  and  the  slave-buyer, 
after  foddering  them  with  bits  and  ends  of  ash-pones, 
locks  them  up  in  the  jail  until  morning,  while  he  goes 
to  sleep  on  a  bed  of  down  at  Webster  Webb's  tavern, 
near  by.  After  a  hearty  supper,  and  corresponding  po- 
tations of  brandy  and  water,  the  slave-buyer,  with  the 
aid  of  two  servants,  reached  his  sleeping  apartment 
Confederate  demons  being  in  attendance,  he  had  a 
tempestuous  sleep,  diversified  with  horrid  dreams. 
Three  times  did  the  fiends  arouse  him,  and  cause  him 
to  scream  for  mercy ;  and  as  often  did  kind  Peter,  the 
waiter  who  slept  at  his  feet,  soothe  him  to  sleep,  for  he 
dreamed  that  his  prisoners  were  loose,  and  that  they 
conspired  to  murder  him. 


CHAPTER  X. 

ANOTHER   SALE    AND   THE    ESCAPE. 

Preparation  for  a  journey.  A  bargain  made.  Black  Brownson  exposed  to 
slavery.  Gripe's  disappointment.  Laments  his  stupidity.  Cruelty.  The 
caravan  stops  for  the  night. 

GRIPE  arose  from  his  haunted  couch  on  Tuesday 
morning,  in  a  fever  of  a  hurry.  Having  commenced 
the  day  by  taking  a  glass  of  water,  made  stiff  with 
brandy,  he  was  very  generous  in  distributing  his  oaths 
to  all  who  came  in  his  way.  He  ordered  that  an  extra 
good  breakfast  of  corn-bread  and  buttermilk,  be  served 
to  the  people  in  the  jail,  as  a  long  day's  journey  was 
before  them.  He  then  despatched  his  own  breakfast, 
consisting  of  muffins,  waffles,  cold  beef  and  bacon, 
honey,  butter,  and  coffee.  With  the  aid  of  his  two 
assistants,  Stithe  and  Strong,  he  then  arranged  his  new 
property,  for  the  journey  to  Richmond,  fifty  miles  dis- 
tant. His  large  slave-wagon  or  carryall,  was  drawn 
up  before  the  tavern,  two  horses  being  harnessed  thereto. 
Nine  children  under  eight  years  of  age.  and  four  adults, 
were  packed  in  this  vehicle.  Little  Ella  and  Kitt  were 
to  ride  on  the  same  horse  with  Gripe,  the  one  before, 
F 


82  JAMIEPARKER 

and  the  other  behind  him  ;  the  five  remaining,  including 
Jamie  and  Tray,  were  to  walk  a  part  of  the  way,  and 
then  to  take  the  places  of  the  adults  in  the  carryall. 

The  two  men  who  assisted  Gripe,  named  Stithe  and 
Strong,  also  had  a  place  in  this  caravan  ;  the  former 
drove  the  carryall,  while  the  latter  rode  on  horseback 
to  guard  and  drive  those  who  walked. 

As  the  landlord,  Webster  Webb,  wished,  his  friend 
Black  Brownson  (who  had  atrociously  offended  him) 
started  about  an  hour  before  the  slave  company,  and 
designed  spending  the  day  at  a  village  called  Land- 
ham,  about  ten  miles  distant.  When  the  slave-buyer 
was  nearly  ready  to  go,  the  landlord  waddled  up  to  him 
and  commenced  conversation. 

"  Pretty  good  speculation  this  of  yours,  friend  Gripe?" 

"  Right-smart  fair,  I  reckon,"  replied  Mr.  Gripe. 

"  Would  you  like  to  purchase  any  more  people,  to 
add  to  your  lot  ?"  inquired  Webster  Webb. 

u  Why,  yes,  I  am  never  tired  of  buying.  The  more 
I  buy,  the  more  profit.  Though  as  for  that  matter, 
there  is  precious  little  profit.  I  barely  keep  soul  and 
body  together  by  the  practice  of  my  profession ;  barely 
support  Mrs.  Gripe.  (Aside  ;  although  it's  true  I  have  a 
few  thousands  laid  by.)  But  let 's  see,  the  more  the 
merrier ;  have  you  any  to  sell  ?" 


THE     FUGITIVE.  83 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  landlord  ;  "  I  have  one  valuable 
servant  that  I  wish  to  dispose  of." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  buyer,  "  how  '11  you  trade  ?" 

"  You  will  find  my  man.  Bill  Snow,"  continued  Web- 
ster Webb,  "in  my  sulky  some  few  miles  ahead,  if  you 
hurry  on.  I  sent  him  off  ostensibly  on  an  errand,  but 
really  to  dispose  of  in  this  manner.  If  he  should  reach 
Landham  village  before  you  do,  you  may  find  it  more 
difficult  to  get  possession  of  him,  as  he  is  cunning  as  a 
fox.  So  you  had  best  hurry  on,  if  you  purchase  him." 

"  Describe  him  out  and  out,"  said  the  buyer. 

"  He  is  about  forty  years  old,"  said  Webster  Webb, 
"  looks  much  older,  of  rather  swarthy  complexion,  has 
good  teeth,  and  is  sound  throughout.  He  is  dressed 
genteely.  being  my  body  servant,  is  well  spoken  and 
plausible,  and  will  try  to  pass  off  as  a  gentleman  ;  of 
course  you  '11  take  no  notice  of  that.  If  he  resists,  use 
the  hand-cuffs." 

"  Never  fear  us,"  replied  Gripe,  "  we  know  our  pro- 
fession. But  how  '11  ye  trade  ?" 

"  O,  I  dare  say  we  shall  not  differ  about  that ;  any 
thing  reasonable,"  replied  Mr.  Webb. 

"  But  your  terms  !"  said  Gripe ;  "  your  terms." 

"  Well,  then,  as  I  wish  to  give  you  a  bargain,  I  will 
sell  him  for  $800,  on  sixty  days  credit." 


84  JAMIE      PARKER 

"Done!  it's  a  bargain  !"  said  the  speculator.  "But 
the  horse  and  sulky  ?" 

"  You  may  leave  them  at  the  village  tavern,  and  I 
will  send  for  them,"  said  the  landlord. 

Each  one  goes  his  way  chuckling  with  satisfaction ;  the 
one  is  pleased  at  the  success  of  his  project  to  play  a  game 
on  his  neighbor, the  other  at  the  rare  bargain  he  has  made. 

All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  caravan  starts  from 
the  tavern;  and  as  Gripe  is  anxious  to  overtake  his 
property  that  is  ahead,  he  presses  on  at  a  brisk  rate, 
leaving  the  carryall  and  the  foot-passengers  quite  in 
the  rear. 

Meanwhile  he  congratulates  himself  on  his  great 
gains,  and  sees  in  perspective,  a  splendid  fortune  in  his 
possession.  Visions  of  prodigious  estates  well  stocked 
with  laborers,  rise  before  him  as  his  steed  moves  along, 
and  little  Ella  and  Kitt,  tired  with  weeping,  remain 
stupified  with  grief,  while  he  complacently  mutters  to 
himself,  swinging  his  cow-hide,  "  all  mine  ;  lawfully 
mine ;  made  by  constant  trade  in  four  short  years." 
Just  at  this  moment,  coming  to  a  turn  in  the  road,  he 
saw  his  latest  purchase,  riding  at  his  ease  like  a  gen- 
tleman, as  the  buyer  expressed  it,  "  for  all  the  world  like 
a  lord  ;  as  unconcerned  as  if  he  were  the  master  and 
not  the  slave." 


THE      FUGITIVE.  85 

"  Halloa,  my  man  !"  shouts  the  purchaser,  riding  up 
alongside  of  the  sulky :  "  halloa,  there ;  let  me  have 
the  pleasure  of  introducing  your  new  master,  that's 
myself,  d'  ye  hear?" 

"  Sir !"  exclaimed  Black  Brownson,  drawing  in  his 
reins  in  unfeigned  astonishment.  "  Sir ;  do  you  mean 
to  insult  me  ?" 

"  So,  so  ;  this  is  all  sorts  of  impudence,"  said  the 
drover ;  <:  but  your  master  has  warned  me  of  your  tricks. 
No  more  of  them  then,  or  I  '11  give  you  a  taste  of  my 
cowhide,"  at  the  same  time  giving  said  weapon  a 
threatening  sweep  over  his  head. 

"  What  under  the  heavens  do  you  mean  ?"  growled 
out  Black  Brownson,  his  eyes  flashing  fire  as  he  spoke. 

"  That  you  are  my  servant  by  lawful  purchase  ;  and 
that  you  may  as  well  keep  your  impudence  to  yourself, 
if  you  know  what 's  for  your  health,"  said  he  of  the 
good  bargain. 

"  Not  so  fast,  sir  :  not  so  fast,  sir,"  exclaimed  Black 
Brownson,  "  here  is  a  mistake,  all  resulting  from  my 
enduring  black  skin.  I  have  always  feared  to  travel 
farther  south,  lest  I  should  be  sold  for  a  slave ;  but  bless 
rne,  I  never  expected  to  be  sold  not  ten  miles  from  my 
own  plantation  to  a  "  nigger-buyer," 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  Gripe,  "  I  shall  make  bold  to 


86  JAMIEPARKER 

arrest  you  as  my  property,  and,  putting  on  the  hand- 
cuffs, give  you  in  charge  to  my  overseer  Stithe,  who  is 
coming  up  with  the  people  I  bought  yesterday.  I  shall 
arrest  you,  I  say,  unless  you  can  prove  on  the  spot  that 
you  are  not  Bill  Snow,  who  was  sold  to  me  not  one 
hour  ago  by  Webster  Webb." 

The  light  now  burst  in  upon  Black  Brownson.  He 
saw  through  the  trick  of  his  offended  friend.  "  Here 's 
proof  sufficient  to  convince  you,"  said  he,  taking  out  his 
pocket-book,  which,  by  the  way,  was  well  lined  with 
bank  notes,  K  proof  sufficient.  My  name  is  Col.  Brown- 
son,  generally  known  as  Black  Brownson.  If  these 
(showing  sundry  papers)  will  not  satisfy  you,  I  will 
join  your  company,  and  at  the  next  village,  where  I  am 
well  known,  I  can  convince  you  beyond  a  doubt." 

Gripe  here  threw  out  a  profusion  of  expletives  which 
we  can  not  repeat,  and  continued,  "  I  have  been  mightily 
hoaxed.  I  declare  that  I  bought  you,  not  an  hour  ago, 
of  Webster  Webb,  as  his  servant  Bill  Snow,  and  I  have 
half  a  mind  now  to  take  you  to  market,  that  I  am,"  con- 
tinued he,  half  in  jest,  "  it 's  too  good  a  •  spec'  to  be  lost, 
that  it  is." 

"  Jupiter  Ammon,"  exclaimed  Col.  Brownson ;  "  this 
is  more  than  southern  blood  can  bear !  I  '11  challenge 
the  old  duck ;  he 's  not  to  insult  me  through  a  vile 


THE      FUGITIVE.  87 

slave-dealer,"  said  he  through  his  teeth,  in  a  lower 
tone. 

"  Vile  slave-dealer !  eh  ?"  echoed  that  character,  for 
he  overheard,  "  forget  that  you  are  my  property  yet,  do 
3Tou  ?  and  that  I  intend  to  sell  you  to  labor  for  life  on  a 
sugar  plantation !" 

"Minion!"  flashed  Black  Brownson,  "bottle  your 
wrath  P  and  then  giving  the  reins  and  blows  to  his 
horse,  he  soon  distanced  his  master,  as  every  spirited 
slave,  black  or  white,  is  bound  to  do. 

Said  Mr.  Gripe  to  himself,  "  I  have  made  a  fair  bar- 
gain for  this  man,  and  although  he  is  Col.  Brownson, 
if  I  thought  I  could  carry  the  matter  through,  and  get 
him  out  of  the  reach  of  his  friends,  I  should  not  have 
the  least  hesitation  to  do  it.  for  it  is  plainly  too  good  a 
1  spec'  to  be  lost.  Let 's  see,  $1200,  the  same  as  taken 
out  of  my  pocket.  Fool  that  I  am !  If  I  was  not  tied 
up  to  these  varments,  (meaning  little  Ella  and  Kitt,)  I 
would  hand-cuff  and  gag  him  directly,  and  have  him 
ready  to  pack  in  the  bottom  of  the  carryall  against  it 
came  up.  However  it 's  too  late  now,"  said  he  despair- 
ingly, as  he  saw  the  sulky  gentleman  almost  out  of 
sight,  "  it 's  too  late !  what  a  fool  I  have  been.  With 
half  an  eye  I  ought  to  have  seen  that  it  was  a  hoax,  and 
have  made  a  serious  matter  of  it !  how  profoundly  stupid !" 


88  JAMIE    PARKER 

Thus  he  continued  to  lament  his  ill-luck  in  the 
escape  of  his  property,  and  seeing  that  it  was  useless  to 
attempt  to  make  his  loaded  horse  overtake  the  run- 
away, he  fell  back,  waiting  for  the  carryall  and  attend- 
ants to  come  up.  In  fiendish  mood,  from  pure  malice, 
he  now  began  to  torment  the  children  who  had  no  one 
to  protect  them. 

"Now,"  said  he  to  Ella,  "I  shall  let  you  fall  under 
the  horse's  feet ;"  at  the  same  time  jostling  the  child 
as  if  about  to  execute  his  threat. 

"  Oh,  please !"  said  she  with  a  beseeching  look  which 
would  have  softened  any  heart  not  harder  than  the 
nether  millstone. 

"  Please,"  echoed  Kitt  involuntarily,  in  his  trembling 
for  Ella. 

"  Please,  indeed !"  roughly  growled  the  drover;  "speak 
again,  and  I  '11  toss  you  off,  and  break  your  neck." 

"  Don't  hurt  him,  he  '11  not  done  say  please  again," 
softly  whispered  Ella. 

"  You  want  a  stroke  I  see,"  said  he  fiercely,  at  the 
same  time  giving  her  a  blow  on  her  bare  arm,  which 
brought  the  blood.  The  little  girl  scringed  and  wept 
in  silence,  for  she  was  a  poor  defenseless  slave,  and  had 
no  one  to  redress  her  wrong. 

The  carryall  now  came  up,  and  with  it  all  the  com- 


THE      FUGITIVE.  89 

pany,  for  those  that  walked  were  obliged  to  keep  im- 
mediately behind  it.  the  horses  being  driven  moderately. 
Nothing  unusual  had  happened  to  the  party  of  captives 
in  and  behind  the  carryall.  The  children  in  the  vehicle 
had,  some  of  them,  got  weary  and  cried  themselves  to 
sleep.  Others  were  yet  weeping  for  their  absent  moth- 
ers ;  for  with  all  the  interest  felt  by  the  slave-dealer  in 
their  disposal  and  welfare,  there  was  no  mother's  love 
in  it ;  and  of  this  the  children  were  sensible,  although 
not  great  reasoners. 

The  five  slaves  on  foot  now  took  the  places  of  the 
four  adults  in  the  carryall.  Gripe  drank  a  quantity  of 
brandy  out  of  a  bottle,  which  he  drew  from  his  saddle- 
bags, and  directly  began  to  feel  better,  which  was 
happy  for  Ella  and  Kitt. 

The  sun  was  beating  upon  them  like  a  furnace,  and 
they  were  scorched  to  fainting.  Finally  the  child  Ella 
fell  asleep,  and  as  the  drover  reined  his  horse  alongside 
of  the  crowded  vehicle,  Jamie's  eye  fell  upon  the  lacer- 
ated arm  of  the  little  sufferer.  It  nerved  him  to  mad- 
ness. "  I  will  be  free,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  come  life 
or  come  death !  I  will  be  free,  and  Ella  shall  be  free 
too." 

Richmond  city  lies  about  fifty  miles  from  Mulberry 
Court  House,  the  place  from  which  the  caravan  started. 


90  JAMIE     PARKER 

As  the  weather  was  excessively  hot,  the  drover  now 
thought  it  the  best  economy  to  divide  the  distance 
equally,  and  take  two  days  for  the  journey.  Accord- 
ingly, about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  one  of  Vir- 
ginia's hottest  days,  our  company  halted  in  a  pleasant 
wood,  bordering  on  the  James'  river.  As  there  was  no 
dwelling  houses  or  places  of  accommodation  for  trav- 
elers in  the  vicinity,  Gripe  and  his  confederates  decided 
to  encamp. 

The  sun  went  down  in  glory,  and  left  hanging  in 
the  firmament  over  the  place  of  his  rest,  a  gorgeous 
drapery  of  clouds.  Earnestly  had  he  gazed  on  the  hu- 
man woe  of  the  southern  land,  and  now  he  turns  away. 

"  Bright  sun,  thou  art  leaving 

The  land  of  the  slave, 

Thou  surely  art  grieving, 

His  joy  is  his  grave. 

Of  gazing  on  sorrow 

Enough  for  to-day ; 
Returning  to-morrow, 

'T  will  come  in  thy  way. 

Then  out  on  the  prairie, 

Be  gilding  the  flower, 
Forget  thou  art  weary, 

Of  joy  have  an  hour. 

Bathe  in  the  Pacific, 

And  short  time  forget 
The  Slave  curse  terrific 

On  this  land  is  set." 


CHAPTER  XL 


'  Free  is  the  sunlight. 

And  water,  and  air, 
But  Slavery  's  a  blight, 
A  curse  and  a  snare." 


The  encampment  supper.    Soul-buyers  helpless.    Jamie's  plan  for  the  escape. 
Slave  fear.    The  flight. 

A  COMFORTABLE  encampment  was  soon  made  by  the 
slave  people,  after  the  following  manner : 

The  wagon  was  drawn  under  an  oak  of  gigantic 
dimensions,  opposite  which  several  saplings  were  bent 
and  fastened  under  a  horizontal  bough  extending  from 
the  monarch  tree.  A  quantity  of  boughs  and  leaves 
were  spread  over  all,  forming  a  complete  shield  from 
the  night  air.  A  good  fire  was  made  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, for  the  double  purpose  of  cooking  supper,  and 
keeping  off  musquitoes.  Two  or  three  people,  with  one 
overseer,  went  to  the  river  for  fish,  while  two,  conducted 
by  the  second  overseer,  went  to  a  distant  dwelling  for 
other  necessaries  to  make  out  a  supper.  Jamie  and 
Tray,  with  the  three  remaining  laborers,  were  busy  col- 
lecting a  supply  of  wood  for  the  night,  boiling  a  kettle  of 
water  for  tea,  and  clearing  a  spot  of  ground  for  the  table 


92  THE     FUGITIVE. 

to  be  spread,  and  for  the  people  to  sleep  at  night.  The 
ground  was  soon  cleared  of  the  decayed  wood  and  ob- 
stinate underbrush  :  and  an  Indian  blanket  spread  on 
the  torn  turf  for  the  drovers'  table.  All  things  being 
ready,  they  awaited  the  return  of  the  absent  companies. 
In  about  an  hour  they  appeared,  laden  with  oysters 
and  fish  from  the  river,  and  with  eating  vessels,  milk, 
rum,  butter,  &c.,  from  the  farm-house.  As  Jamie  had 
the  most  activity  and  intelligence  of  the  "  lot,"  it  fell  to 
him  to  perform  the  duties  of  cook  and  waiter ;  and 
while  he  was  busy  cooking  the  food  from  the  river,  the 
three  "  drovers"  kept  the  rest  of  the  people  busy  pulling 
grass  by  hand,  and  carrying  it  to  the  place  where  the 
horses  were  tied  by  the  wagon,  and  thus,  in  process  of 
time,  those  animals  were  supplied.  Long  ere  that  was 
accomplished,  however,  the  inviting  repast  prepared  by 
Jamie,  for  the  three  white  men,  was  smoking  on  the 
table.  The  drovers  were  not  backward  in  sitting  down 
and  enjoying  it,  although  the  men  who  labored  for 
them,  and  had  had  such  abundant  exercise,  were  almost 
famished  ;  and  the  children  lying  in  the  carryall,  were 
sleeping  supperless  after  their  tiresome  ride.  Several 
of  them  were  now  awakened  by  the  pinchings  of  hun- 
ger, joined  with  the  smell  of  the  savory  food,  but  they 
must  patiently  wait  until  their  masters  had  finished 


THE      FUGITIVE.  93 

their  long  sitting  at  the  table,  before  they  could  have 
their  tantalized  appetite  appeased.  The  brandy  bottles 
having  been  replenished,  the  slave-traders  showed,  by 
their  devotion  to  them,  that  they  considered  their  con- 
tents the  most  desirable  thing  on  the  table.  All  three 
were  made  intolerably  cross,  as  effect  first  of  said  bot- 
tles ;  but  by  and  by  they  became  as  comfortably  silly  and 
good  natured.  as  they  had  been  the  opposite.  The 
mirth  and  jokes  of  inebriates  were  now  in  the  ascend- 
ant, while  reason  and  judgment,  instead  of  being  on  the 
meridian,  were  below  the  horizon.  Uproar  and  confu- 
sion being  the  order  of  the  table,  not  a  captive  dared  to 
approach  to  satisfy  his  pressing  wants.  Jamie  gave 
his  companions  of  the  food  still  broiling  on  the  fire,  as 
soon  as  he  saw  that  the  masters  were  too  intoxicated  to 
take  notice.  And  when,  at  last,  they  slept  in  their 
drunkenness,  he,  with  two  or  three  of  his  comrades, 
quietly  moved  them  to  the  beds  prepared  for  them  under 
the  cover  of  the  boughs,  and  gave  of  the  food  to  all  the 
company.  Said  Jamie  to  his  people,  '•  Eat,  for  we  have 
work  to  do  to-night." 

And  while  they  were  eating,  he  pointed  out  to  them 
the  fine  opportunity  they  had  for  escaping,  but  his  pro- 
posal was  received  with  great  fear  and  distrust. 

Said  the  oldest  man  present,  whose  name  was  Gum- 


94  JAMIE      PARKER 

frey,  in  a  whisper,  "  what  if  massa  Gripe,  dare,  wake 
up ;  he  tear  us  to  pieces  like  de  lion,  he  so  mad." 

"  Never  fear  him  to-night,"  said  Jamie  aloud,  "  he  is 
chained  fast,  and  here  is  his  master,"  raising  his  empty 
bottles  ;  "  he  does  love  to  serve  his  master  Jug."  This 
speech  was  received  with  applause  by  the  people, 
although  they  shrank  away  from  the  bold  thought  of 
striking  out  for  freedom.  Ella,  Kitt,  and  Tray,  had 
clustered  near  Jamie,  and  although  his  earnest  efforts 
in  arousing  his  people  to  be  free  that  night,  left  him 
little  leisure  or  inclination  to  eat,  yet  he  found  time  to 
help  little  Ella,  and  also  to  bind  some  healing  leaves 
on  her  bruised  arms. 

After  the  people  had  finished  supper,  Jamie  again 
commenced  the  work  of  arousing  them.  Rising  and 
holding  in  his  hand  one  of  the  three  jugs  emptied  by 
the  sleeping  keepers,  "  Look  at  this  !"  said  he.  All  the 
company  looked  at  it,  save  the  tired  children  whom 
Kitt  and  Tray  meanwhile  were  putting  to  bed. 

"  The  jug  is  the  master  of  the  drunken  white  men !" 
said  he,  pointing  to  them,  "I'll  take  care  of  one  mas- 
ter," said  he,  throwing  the  bottle  with  all  his  strength 
against  a  rock  near  by  and  dashing  it  to  pieces,  "  and 
now  I  tell  you  to-night,  that  I  will  escape  from  the 
slaves  of  the  master  I  have  broken !" 


THE    FUGITIVE.  95 

Ordinarily,  most  of  the  people  were  dull  compared 
with  Jamie,  and  the  thought  of  "  escaping,"  which  he 
had  suggested,  almost  stupefied  them.  At  the  quarters, 
corn-field  and  whipping-post,  they  had  been  taught  to 
think  that  the  most  fearful  sin  they  could  commit 
against  God  and  man  was  wishing  to  be  free,  and  some 
of  them  prayed  the  Savior  to  forgive  them  for  having 
such  temptations !  At  length  Gumfrey,  feeling  more 
and  more  tempted  to  strike  out  for  freedom,  said  to 
Jamie : 

"  You  ought  to  be  white  man  !  you  no  fear  nothing !" 

"  I  fear  God,"  replied  Jamie,  "  and  He  wants  to  have 
us  free." 

"  We  slave  people  will  follow  you,  and  go  where 
you  go !"  said  Trumpet,  another  of  the  party. 

'  Hope  massa  Gripe  won't  done  wake  up,"  said  Alex, 
as  the  love  of  liberty  began  to  dawn  in  his  mind. 

"Never  mind,  he  '11  sleep  sound  till  morning,"  said 
Jamie,  "  nothing  to  fear  from  him." 

"We  be  safe  if  we  kill  de  sleeping  massas,"  said 
Gumfrey,  who  had  too  often  been  advanced  to  the  whip- 
ping-post for  supposed  misdemeanors,  to  admire  slavery. 

A  shudder  passed  through  this  little  group,  and  Jamie 
said,  "  no  indeed !  we  will  not  stain  our  hands  in  their 
blood !" 


96  JAM. IE    PARKER 

"  No,  no,"  murmured  the  people,  while  they  trembled 
at  the  thought. 

The  company  then  taking  with  them  what  they 
could  carry  of  the  remains  of  the  supper,  cast  a  hasty 
look  on  the  sleeping  masters,  and  set  out  for  the  free 
country,  with  Jamie  as  their  leader. 

As  the  number  of  captives  that  left  Webster  Webb's 
were  twenty,  and  nine  children  were  left  on  the  en- 
campment, the  free  party  consisted  of  eleven.  Jamie 
rightly  judged  that  very  much  of  the  success  of  the  un- 
dertaking depended  upon  him,  consequently  all  the 
sagacity  of  his  nature  was  called  into  exercise.  He 
foresaw  if  they  kept  in  a  body  there  would  be  more  dan- 
ger of  being  recaptured.  For  even  if  all  had  sufficient 
caution  to  keep  hid  during  day-light,  so  many  traveling 
together,  would  leave  a  trail  which  would  be  easily  fol- 
lowed. They  had  proceeded  about  an  hour  in  as  noise- 
less a  manner  as  possible,  when  Jamie  proposed  to  the 
fugitives  a  plan  of  separating.  To  this  there  was  much 
opposition.  There  was  not  one  that  had  hardihood  and 
courage  enough,  to  lead  any  one  of  the  companies 
necessary  to  be  formed. 

"  Unless  we  separate  we  shall  all  be  taken  before 
sunset !"  said  Jamie,  "  If  we  go  by  two  and  two.  we 
may  all  escape !" 


THE    FUGITIVE.  97 

The  principle  of  fear  is  strong,  and  the  people  listened 
to  this  counsel.  So  Jamie,  Kitt,  and  Ella  were  to  go 
together  ;  Tray  with  Gumfrey ;  and  the  six  men  remain- 
ing were  divided  into  three  companies  of  two  each. 

"  Now."  said  Jamie,  "  we  must  pray  the  Father  to 
help  us.  We  must  travel  only  by  night  and  through 
the  darkest  woods,  and  alwaj^s  find  a  good  hiding-place 
for  the  day  if  we  can." 

Said  Gumfrey,  "  how  shall  we  know  where  to  go  ?" 

Jamie  then  told  them  that  they  must  make  the  north 
star  their  guide.  "  Follow  that  for  two  moons  and  you 
will  find  the  free  country,"  said  he. 

Then  with  hasty  farewells  the  five  companies  took 
different  paths. 

G  9 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"  Oh  who  can  tell  what  days,  what  nights  she  spent, 
Ot'tideless,  waveless,  sailless,  shoreless  woe  ?" 

Jinny  a  maniac.  What  the  fugitive  must  expect.  Jamie  and  his  compan- 
ions. The  buyers  at  the  encampment.  A  discovery.  The  pursuit.  Prog- 
ress of  Jamie  and  those  with  him. 

POOR  Jinny !  bereft  of  all  she  had  to  love,  who  can 
think  of  her  without  weeping  ?  Her  children  sold,  as 
she  supposed,  into  hopeless  slavery,  she  is  carried  to  her 
desolate  cabin  by  overseer  Brazen,  the  cup  of  her  sor- 
rows overflowing.  We  can  not  portray  her  sufferings, 
no  pen  can  describe  them  ;  nor  can  we  stay  to  mark 
the  course  by  which  in  her  lonely  hut,  madness  seized 
her  brain,  and  how,  with  no  kindred  by,  she  raved  in  her 
delirium,  how  she  alternated  between  the  maniac-laugh 
and  the  mother's  scream  of  anguish,  pleading  that  her 
lost  children  might  be  restored.  But  her's  is  not  the 
only  case  of  suffering  among  the  poor  slave  people.* 


*  "  The  horrors  of  this  traffic  in  human  beings,  it  is  impossible  to  depict. 
Imagination,  in  her  wildest  flights,  can  scarcely  conceive  of  the  suffering  and 
horrible  atrocities  committed  upon  the  victims  of  this  trade.  Think  one  mo- 
ment of  the  sufferings  of  the  forty  thousand  men,  women,  and  children  of  all 
ages,  sold  out  of  Virginia  alone,  in  1836,  at  an  average  price  of  six  hundred 
dollars,  making  twenty-four  millions  in  one  year,  for  her  trade  in  blood. 
Scenes  transpire  under  this  system  sufficient  to  make  a  man  of  human  feel- 
ings, should  he  witness  them,  go  mad.  This  foul  wickedness  Congress  can 


THE     FUGITIVE.  99 

At  this  moment,  there  are  thousands  of  southern  hearts, 
laid  open,  bare  and  bleeding1,  by  the  merciless  slave- 
trader,  who  hesitates  not  to  tear  away  the  children 
bound  up  in  the  life  of  the  mother,  for  the  sake  of  a  little 
glittering1  dust. 

Much  as  we  feel  for  poor  "  crazy  Jinny,"  as  they  call 
her  at  the  Monmouth  quarter,  we  must  leave  her,  to 
follow  her  children  in  their  perilous  enterprise. 

In  separating  into  parties,  Jamie  had  quite  a  struggle 
in  his  mind,  for  he  longed  to  have  his  two  brothers  and 
Ella  go  with  him  ;  but  Tray  decided  the  matter,  pos- 
sessed as  he  was  of  some  independence  and  manliness 
of  character,  by  saying  that  Kitt  and  Ella  must  go 
with  Jamie,  while  he  himself  would  go  with  any  one  of 
the  party.  Jamie  advised  the  people  to  cross  their 


stop.  The  effect  of  its  abolition  upon  slavery  can  be  seen,  when  it  is  remem- 
bered that  one  portion  of  the  South  grows  slaves  for  sale,  as  Vermonters  do 
sheep  ;  while  the  other  portion  buys  them,  to  exhaust  them  in  their  corn- 
fields, and  rice  swamps.  By  the  abolition  of  the  trade,  that  portion  which 
breeds  slaves  would  find  itself  dying  of  surfeit  from  a  surplus  population,  for 
which  there  would  be  no  outlet  but  in  emancipation.  The  purchasing  or  ex- 
htiusting  states  would  find  themselves  dying  of  starvation,  for  want  of  the 
laboring  power  which  they  had  used  heretofore,  but  which  then  there  would 
be  no  means  of  obtaining,  except  through  emancipation.  Thus  by  your  vote, 
and  the  votes  of  northern  men,  can  slavery  be  struck  lifeless  at  both  extremi- 
ties *  *  *  *  It  reflects  little  credit  on  our  national  legislature,  that, 
while  they  have  declared  the  foreign  slave  trade  piracy,  punishable  with 
death,  they  have  silently  tolerated  a  domestic  traffic  equally  deserving  the  law's 
extremest  penalty.  Let  us  hope  that  freemen  may  at  last  vindicate  the  power 
of  the  Constitution  by  exerting  to  the  utmost  every  one  of  its  prerogatives  in 
behalf  of  humanity,  and  the  inalienable  rights  of  liberty." 


100  JAMIE      PARKER 

tracks,  to  swim  and  re-swim  the  creeks  as  much  as 
possible,  so  as  to  put  the  dogs  at  fault,  should  they  fol- 
low. Commending  themselves  to  God,  they  went  on 
their  daring  journey  ;  for  he  that  escapes  from  the  life- 
prison  of  the  South  must  peril  all  in  the  attempt.  He 
must  thread  his  way  through  the  unfrequented  by-ways 
of  the  forest,  and  swim  creeks  and  rivers,  for  the  bridges 
were  not  made  for  him  ;  they  belong  to  his  elder,  paler 
brother.  He  must  eat  of  the  nuts,  berries  and  roots 
held  out  to  him  by  wild  Nature's  kind  hand ;  for  the 
stranger's  home  belongs  not  to  him,  although  a  weary 
stranger.  He  may  not  seek  a  human  habitation  ;  only 
the  wild  dens  of  the  forest  will  entertain  him.  He  must 
linger  concealed  around  the  outskirts  of  civilization,  for 
man  has  proscribed  him.  Lone,  weary,  hunted,  he  must 
stealthily  pursue  his  way,  under  the  "  eaves  of  the  Al- 
leghanies,"  starting  like  the  frightened  hare  at  every 
trembling  leaf;  for  his  dreams  by  day  as  well  as  by  night 
are  of  the  pursuer.  Do  not  the  struggles  of  the  bond- 
man to  get  his  head  above  the  stagnant  waters  of 
slavery,  and  breathe  unstrangled  the  air  of  freedom, 
deserve  a  place  on  the  historic  page,  infinitely  above  the 
lofty  warrior's  deeds  of  conquest  ?  In  the  one  case  a 
noble  thirst  for  liberty  incites  to  action,  while  in  the 
other,  ambition  is  the  ruling  star. 


THE     FUGITIVE.  101 

Jamie  and  his  companions,  with  whom  we  have  most 
to  do,  traveled  all  this  first  night,  weary  as  they  were, 
and  the  distance  accomplished  was  probably  about  fif- 
teen miles.  A  part  of  the  time  their  course  led  them 
through  open  fields,  but  as  the  morning  began  to  dawn, 
they  sought  the  solitude  of  a  thick  wood,  and  penetrat- 
ing into  its  depths,  found  a  safe  hiding-place  in  a  close 
thicket  of  tangled  hollies  and  laurels.  Jamie  now  sat 
Ella  down,  for  he  had  carried  her  a  part  of  the  way, 
and  said,  "  Here  we  must  stay  till  dark  again !  men 
and  dogs  will  be  out  to-day  to  take  us !" 

u  What  shall  we  do,"  said  Kitt,  creeping  into  the 
covert,  "  when  our  fish  is  gone  ?" 

£i  Do,"  said  Jamie  cheerfully,  "  do ;  why  we  must  do 
like  the  birds  and  squirrels,  eat  berries,  and  nuts  and 
roots,  where  we  can  find  them !" 

"Yes,"  said  Ella,  "and  sometimes  when  we  go 
through  the  corn-fields,  when  it 's  dark,  we  can  eat  a 
little  corn !" 

"  Oh/'  exclaimed  Kitt,  "  that  would  be  stealing  !" 

"  No  indeed,"  replied  Jamie  "it 's  not  stealing  for  us  to 
take  a  little  corn  when  we  need  it.  We  have  a  better 
right  to  the  corn  than  men  have  to  us." 

And  thus  freely  whispering  their  minds  on  a  subject 
which  has  caused  some  dispute  among  wiser  heads,  the 
9* 


102  JAMIE     PAK.KER 

three  ate  a  little  of  the  last  night's  supper,  and  as  the 
birds  awoke  with  song,  weary,  they  fell  asleep.  The 
day  was  almost  past  when  they  awoke,  and  the  dark- 
ness seemed  coming  on,  but  they  had  sagacity  enough 
to  know  that  it  was  night  earlier  within  the  fastnesses  of 
this  dark  forest  than  without ;  they  accordingly  kept 
quiet  until  it  was  safe  to  proceed.  Tray  and  Gumfrey 
made  almost  the  same  distance  as  the  three  mentioned, 
the  first  night.  But  the  other  companions,  in  two  or 
three  hours  after  they  lost  the  inspiring  presence  of 
Jamie  and  Tray,  began  to  lag,  and  thinking  sleeping 
better  business  than  traveling,  found  hiding-places  in 
the  woods,  and  went  to  sleep. 

We  will  now  return  a  moment  to  the  encampment. 
The  sun  pointed  at  nine  o'clock  the  next  morning  when 
the  men  who  were  overcome  by  rum  the  night  previous, 
began  to  think  about  rubbing  their  eyes  open.  Gripe 
was  greatly  confused  in  his  mind,  but  thinking,  when 
he  saw  that  the  people  were  absent,  that  they  were 
faithful  and  true,  and  busy  in  fishing  for  breakfast,  he 
felt  no  alarm.  Yet  at  length  a  solitary  suspicion  seemed 
to  find  its  way  into  his  topsey-turvey  cranium. 

"  Say,"  said  he  to  Stithe  on  his  right  hand,  "  say, 
where  are  them  are  stupid  servants,  that  they  don't 
done  tote  in  our  breakfast?" 


THE    FUGITIVE.  103 

"  Humph  !"  growled  out  the  spoken-to,  getting  half 
an  eye  open,  "humph  !  run  away,  I  reckon!" 

"  I  know  better  than  that,"  said  Strong,  coming  to 
the  rescue,  "  I  know  better  than  that,  for  when  I  left 
watching  at  midnight,  they  were  all  as  snug  asleep 
as  need  be." 

"  Sure  of  it  ?"  interrogated  the  slave  dealer. 

u  As  sure  as  I  am  living !"  answered  Strong. 

"  And  what 's  the  reason  you  left  watching  ?"  sternly 
interrogated  the  slave  buyer. 

"  Thought  all  was  safe,  and  I  might  rest  a  bit,"  said 
he  demurely. 

"  Well,"  said  the  drover,  "  we  may  as  well  stir  our- 
selves and  be  bringing  them  ba'ck  if  they  have  run 
away."  Saying  this  he  began  to  move  toward  the 
wagon.  "  Bless  me !"  said  he,  as  he  reached  that 
vehicle,  "  here  's  some  of  the  lot  left,  one,  two,  three, 
four,  five,  six,  seven,  eight,  nine  !  All  with  your  eyes 
open,  eh  ?  Where 's  the  people?"  Trembling  with  fear, 
not  one  of  them  dared  to  answer,  not  comprehending 
what  the  fierce  man  meant. 

"  Why  don't  you  answer  ?"  roared  Gripe.  "  I  say," 
said  he,  turning  to  his  confederates,  "  the  best  way  to 
find  out  where  the  people  is,  will  be  to  whip  these  chil- 
dren within  an  inch  of  their  lives,  and  so  make  'em  tell." 


104  JAMIE    PARKER 

"  Oh  no !"  said  Stithe,  that  would  take  too  much  time, 
and  they  were  sound  asleep  when  the  people  left,  most 
likely." 

"  Well,"  said  Gripe,  "  we  must  tie  these  that's  left, 
or  they  will  be  gone  when  we  come  back." 

After  a  short  consultation  it  was  agreed  that  Stithe 
should  stay  on  the  ground  with  the  children,  while  the 
drover  and  Strong  harnessed  the  horses  to  the  carryall, 
and  went  back  in  the  direction  of  Webster  Webb's,  for 
in  their  sagacity  they  judged  that  the  people  being 
homesick,  had  turned  their  steps  thither.  This  remarka- 
ble acuteness  was  mainly  owing  to  the  effects  of  last 
night's  debauch.  Their  reason  having  been  absent,  had 
not  as  yet  quite  returned. 

After  eating  a  "  mouthful,"  the  two  got  into  the 
wagon  and  went  off  at  a  brisk  rate,  when  they  reached 
the  traveled  road.  On  they  went,  asking  of  every  one 
they  met,  for  some  news  of  the  runaways,  and  expecting 
at  every  turn  in  the  road  to  come  up  with  them ;  but  as 
they  were  as  often  disappointed,  this  called  for  vollies  of 
profanity  from  the  nigger-buyer  and  his  associate,  whilst 
he  mercilessly  lashed  his  poor  horses,  as  if  they  were 
not  quite  blameless  in  causing  the  misfortune.  About 
three  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  two  drove  up  before 
Webster  Webb's  and  found  to  their  utter  consternation, 


THE    FUGITIVE.  105 

that  the  escaped  property  had  neither  been  seen  or 
heard  of  at  that  place.  As  matters  were  putting  on  a 
serious  face.  Gripe  bargained  to  change  horses  with  the 
landlord,  and  after  a  hasty  repast,  and  leaving  adver- 
tisements and  rewards  for  the  runaways  in  the  post- 
office,  to  be  inserted  in  the  Richmond  papers,  made  the 
best  of  his  way  back  to  the  forest.  Now  while  the 
war-note  is  sounding,  and  the  slave-dealer,  by  the  voice 
of  the  press,  is  calling  all  Virginia  to  turn  out  blood- 
hounds, and  arrest  these  apostates  from  Icier  peculiar  in- 
stitutions, let  us  peep  at  the  trio  we  left  hid  away  in  the 
holly  thicket. 

"  It  is  time  to  go,"  said  Jamie,  after  they  had  finished 
the  fragments  of  the  last  night's  meal.  The  three  then 
started,  Kitt  and  Ella  noiselessly  following  Jamie.  It 
was  now  quite  dark  and  their  progress  necessarily  slow, 
the  way  being  obstructed  with  underbrush.  At  length, 
after  a  toilesome  walk  of  about  an  hour,  they  struck 
into  a  path  grass-grown  and  as  soft  as  velvet.  Ella's 
little  bare  feet  were  badly  lacerated  by  the  bushes  and 
briars,  and  she  said  as  she  pressed  the  soft  path,  "  O 
Jamie,- let's  walk  here  all  the  time,  it's  so  very  nice  and 
soft !» 

"  But  we  may  meet  somebody  who  will  take  us 
again  !"  said  he. 


106  JAMIE     PARKER 

"No  we  wo'nt!"  said  Ella,  "we  don't  want  to  see 
any  body !" 

"  Some  people  want  to  see  us,"  replied  he. 

"I  can't  hardly  see  you,  it's  so  dark,"  replied  little 
Ella,  "  and  they'll  not  see  us." 

"  Well,"  whispered  Jamie,  "  if  we  walk  here  we  must 
not  speak."  So  they  noiselessly  proceeded  a  long  time 
on  the  soft  turf;  at  length  they  found  a  narrow  branch 
path  which  they  took,  walking  one  before  the  other, 
Indian  file.  This  wound  them  among  the  majestic 
trees,  and  the  moon,  from  a  high  point  in  her  observa- 
tory, flittered  her  rays  through  the  leafy  net-work  of  the 
forest,  in  showers  of  silver.  Her  cheerful  light  is  a  pre- 
cious boon  to  the  earth,  mantled  with  gloom  at  the 
departure  of  the  sun.  But  the  flying  slave,  much  as  he 
loves  her  light,  is  often  obliged  to  shrink  from  it,  and 
plunge  into  the  deep  shade  of  the/orest,  when  near  the 
habitations  of  men,  fearing  lest  the  same  kindly  light 
that  would  guide  his  weary  feet  will  also  point  him  out 
to  his  pursuers. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

AN    ENCOUNTER,    AND    WHAT   FOLLOWED    THEREUPON. 

.  in  encounter.    Fears.    Kind  treatment.     Old  Archy's  plans  for  their  safety. 
They  seek  the  mountain  cave. 

AT  length  our  poor  wanderers  issued  from  the  wood, 
for  the  heroic  leader  judged  it  best  to  travel  west  for  a 
time,  and  get  shielded  from  the  dreaded  foe  by  the  shel- 
tering eaves  of  the  Alleghanies.  To  do  this  it  became 
necessary  to  cross  a  tract  of  cultivated  land,  before  en- 
tering a  forest  through  which  they  could  reach  the 
mountains.  Jamie  had  an  indefinite  idea  that  it  would 
be  safer,  if  a  good  hiding-place  could  be  found,  to  remain 
secreted  some  time  in  the  mountains,  as  pursuers  would 
be  dragging  all  the  Northern  routes  with  their  nets,  to 
secure  the  deserters.  After  traveling  a  long  time,  their 
path  drew  up  before  a  deep  and  sluggish  creek,  with 
the  like  of  which  the  country  abounds.  Jamie,  hush- 
ing the  fears  of  little  Ella,  fastened  her  to  his  back 
and  swam  across,  with  Kitt  by  his  side.  After  wring- 
ing the  water  from  their  tattered  clothes  as  best  they 
could,  finding  that  they  were  in  a  corn-field,  they  gath- 
ered some  of  the  ripe  ears  and  ate,  for  their  long  walk 


108  JAMIE     PARKER 

«, 

made  them  hungry.  They  were  just  emerging  from 
this  extensive  field,  when  a  dog  from  a  lone  cabin  on 
the  border  came  fiercely  upon  them.  But  Jamie  and 
Kitt  had  seen  fierce  dogs  kept  by  servants  as  well  as 
masters,  and  by  managing  skillfully  they  kept  him  off, 
until  they  could  call  for  help,  since  the  faithful  sentry 
would  not  let  them  pass  without. 

"Help!  help!"  shouted  they,  while  Ella  clung  to 
them  for  protection.  And  directly  there  came  out  of 
the  cabin  a  white-headed  old  man  with  a  lighted  pine- 
knot  in  his  hand,  and  a  blanket  on  his  shoulders.  He 
silenced  the  fierce  dog,  who  with  his  eyes  still  fixed  on 
the  strangers,  crouched  at  his  master's  feet.  This  was 
a  moment  of  painful  anxiety  to  our  travelers.  Friend 
or  foe,  they  knew  not  unto  which,  they  were  about  to 
deliver  themselves.  But  the  kind  tones  of  old  Archy 
as  he  said, 

"  Bless  me!  how  came  you  here  children?"  set  their 
palpitating  hearts  a  little  at  rest.  There  was  a  kind- 
ness in  his  eye,  a  goodness  of  heart  that  shone  out  in 
his  face  and  manner,  inspiring  confidence,  and  had  not 
our  little  party  been  so  startled  by  the  sudden  attack  of 
the  dog,  which  awakened  the  whole  force  of  their  fears, 
doubtless  the  first  glance  would  have  composed  them. 
But  in  answering  the  very  natural  question  of  old  Archy, 


THE     FUGITIVE.  109 

Jamie  in  a  few  words  told  him  the  leading  items  of 
"  how  they  came  there,"  and  while  he  briefly  related 
their  simple  story,  more  than  once  the  old  slave  "  took 
a  tear  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye." 

"Come  in!  come  in!"  said  old  Archy,  "  you 're  all 
wet,  come  in  !  you  must  get  dry  and  warm  by  my  fire 
before  you  go  farther."  With  these  words  he  led  the 
way  into  his  cabin,  and  when  he  had  seated  his  guests, 
raked  open  the  coals  which  were  covered  with  ashes, 
and  kindled  a  fire.  Then  he  put  out  the  light,  to  avoid 
exciting  the  suspicion  of  any  night-walking  servants,  or 
the  patrol,  which,  for  aught  he  knew,  might  be  on  their 
rounds.  While  the  travelers  were  drying  their  clothes 
by  the  good  blazing  fire,  old  Archy  baked  some  of  the 
bread  which  was  to  have  been  his  portion  on  the  mor- 
row, by  the  help  of  his  sister  Edy,  whom  he  aroused  for 
this  purpose,  and  who,  being  almost  deaf,  had  not  heard 
the  bustle  occasioned  by  the  coming  of  the  trio.  As 
"  allowance  day"  was  only  the  week  before,  the  aged 
couple  had  still  a  piece  of  meat  left.  A  part  of  this 
they  cooked,  which  with  the  bread  made  quite  a  com- 
fortable meal  for  our  hunted  ones.  But  a  short  time 
was  consumed  in  making  these  arrangements,  '•  For," 
said  the  old  man,  (who  had  had  a  life  experience  of 
slavery  and  fully  sympathized  with  them  in  their 
10 


110  JAMIE     PARKER 

attempt  to  get  free,)  "for,"  said  he,  "you  must  reach 
the  mountains  before  morning."  And  while  they  were 
eating,  being  dry  and  warm,  he  told  them  that  he  once 
set  out  for  the  North,  and  being  successful  in  reaching  a 
free  country,  ventured  back  to  get  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren. He  wished  to  guide  them  to  the  happy  land  he 
had  found,  but  alas  !  they  had  been  sold  during  his 
absence  to  a  Louisianian  plantation,  "  and"  said  he, 
weeping,  "I  could  not  enjoy  my  freedom  without  them!" 
The  tears  chased  each  other  down  the  cheeks  of  the 
kind  old  man,  as  he  said  this.  "  I  have  been  a  free- 
man" said  he,  "  but  must  die  a  slave." 

After  having  finished  their  simple  repast,  old  Archy 
conducted  them  a  short  distance  on  their  way,  and  di- 
rected them  to  a  cave  in  which  they  could  reside  until 
the  fury  of  the  storm  was  spent,  until  the  pursuers,  for 
want  of  success,  should  think  it  useless  to  search  lon- 
ger on  the  traveled  routes.  Said  the  old  man,  as  they 
stopped  on  the  verge  of  the  forest  which  stretched  on 
to  the  mountains,  "  Follow  this  path,  until  you  hear 
water  falling  from  rocks,  strike  out  for  that,  and  it  will 
lead  you  to  a  cave  which  has  hid  many  a  poor  man, 
when  the  dogs  have  been  after  him.  If  you  make  haste 
you  will  get  there  by  sunrise,  and  to-morrow  night,  I  '11 
done  come  and  see  you."  Saying  this,  he  left  the  run- 


THE      FUGITIVE.  Ill 

aways  to  seek  the  asylum  which  Nature  had  provided, 
and  warily,  for  he  feared  it  was  patrol  night,  returned 
to  his  cabin.  He  reached  it  in  safety,  for  that  worthy 
guard  was  entirely  unsuspicious  of  him,  and  confined 
its  surveillance  to  the  people  congregated  at  the  quarters, 
about  one  fourth  of  a  mile  distant. 

The  progress  of  the  party  in  the  woods  was  slow,  as 
Ella's  feet  were  so  torn  that  she  could  barely  walk,  and 
to  relieve  her,  Jamie  carried  her  most  of  the  way.  The 
wood  was  now  composed  of  pines  which  had  grown  up 
on  corn-fields,  exhausted  by  the  wasteful  management 
of  overseers  and  slaves.  After  following  the  path  over 
these  old  fields  for  about  two  miles,  they  entered  a  for- 
est very  different,  consisting  of  oak,  cedar,  gum,  beach, 
aspen,  &c.  Directly  they  found  a  good  path,  used  by 
the  wagoner,  and  followed  it  for  a  long  distance,  stop- 
ping every  now  and  then,  to  hear  the  signal  which  the 
waterfall  was  to  give,  to  guide  them  to  the  cave.  At 
hist  when  they  were  ready  to  despair,  the  wished-for 
sound  was  heard,  and  the  travelers  in  the  dark  com- 
menced fighting  their  way  through  the  thick  under- 
brush of  which  the  wood  was  sufficiently  guilty,  in  the 
direction  of  the  waterfall. 

"  When  shall  we  find  the  cave?"  said  little  Ella. 

"  Right  soon,  I  hope,"  said  Jamie. 


112  JAMIE      PARKER 

"Now  we  are  lost!"  said  Kitt,  "for  we  can't  hear 
the  waters." 

«  Lost !"  said  Ella,  « lost !  I'm  glad  then  !" 

"  Glad  we  are  lost !"  exclaimed  Jamie. 

"  Yes,  dat  I  is  !"  said  she  decidedly. 

"  And  why,  honey  ?"  asked  Jamie. 

"  If  we  are  lost,"  said  the  little  girl,  "  the  men  and 
the  dogs  can't  find  us  !" 

"  Yes  they  can,  perhaps.  Here  we  will  rest  a  bit," 
said  he,  "may  be  we  shall  hear  the  water  presently, 
and  then  we  will  go  on."  The  three  then  sat  down 
and  listened  intently,  but  they  heard  no  sound. 

They  had  remained  silent  but  a  little  while,  when 
Ella,  tired  out  with  the  long  journey,  and  the  excite- 
ment of  the  night,  fell  asleep,  and  Jamie  leaving  her  in 
care  of  Kitt  went  in  search  of  their  guide,  the  water- 
fall. He  found  that  the  ground  had  descended  so  grad- 
ually that  they  were  not  aware  of  it,  and  they  were 
now  in  quite  a  glen  ;  thinking  if  he  went  up  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  glen,  which  was  steep  and  abrupt,  he 
would  be  guided,  he  forced  his  way  up  the  ascent, 
when  the  joyful  sound  burst  upon  his  ear.  As  the  rope 
to  the  drowning  man,  as  bread  to  the  famishing,  was 
the  sound  to  Jamie's  ear.  With  the  agility  of  a  deer 
he  bounded  back  to  the  spot  where  he  left  his  partners 


THE     FUGITIVE.  113 

in  peril,  and  awaking  Ella,  told  them  how  near  they 
were  to  the  cave.  The  morning  was  dawning,  and 
mutually  cautioning  each  other,  they  proceeded  as  still 
as  possible.  They  were  much  longer  in  gaining  the 
ascent,  than  our  hero  had  been  when  alone,  for  Ella 
and  Kitt  did  not  possess  quite  his  strength  and  enthusi- 
asm, and  found  clambering  up  the  rugged  side  of  the 
dell  not  very  easy  work.  At  length  they  gained  the 
height,  where  the  roar  of  the  cascade  was  distinctly 
heard,  at  which  Ella  gave  an  exclamation  of  joy  ;  they 
were  so  near  home,  a,s  she  called  the  cavern,  for  from 
the  description  of  old  Archy,  in  her  childish  fancy,  she 
pictured  it  as  a  very  desirable  place. 

H  10* 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

•'  God  might  have  made  the  earth  a  plain, 

With  never  a  hiding-place, 
Nor  refuge  from  Oppression's  reign 
Its  whole  extent  to  grace. 

He  might  have  made  the  hilla  entire, 

With  not  a  cavern  or  cave— 
And  with  no  winds  to  fan  the  fire 

Of  Freedom  for  the  slave! 

And  with  no  forest  drapery, 

To  shield  the  flying  well, 
And  with  no  web  of  evergreen 

To  bid  him  safely  dwell. 

Nor  in  kind  Nature's  hand  have  placed 

So  many  nuts  and  roots— 
Nor  yet  have  ripened  in  the  shade 

So  many  pleasant  fruits. 

God  made  the  slave's  hiding-places.  The  cave  is  found.  Gripe  and  his 
overseer  disappointed.  Return  to  the  encampment.  Go  to  Richmond. 
Slave-dealer's  advertisement.  Sensation. 

As  we  were  saying,  the  three  gained  the  acclivity  of 
the  glen,  and  listened  enraptured  to  the  sound,  which 
was  the  forest  guide  old  Archy  had  appointed  to  the 
place  of  refuge. 

"  Now  for  the  cave !"  said  Jamie,  "  we  shall  soon 
find  it !" 

"  Where  ?  where  ?"  asked  Ella  in  bewilderment,  glad 
to  hear  of  the  cave. 

"I'll  show  you,  right  soon  !"  said  he.  taking  her  up 


THE     FUGITIVE.  115 

and  plunging  boldly  through  the  thick  growth  of  laurel 
and  shrub-oak,  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the  guide, 
who  now  cheered  them  on  through  the  closely  woven 
thicket  in  louder  and  louder  tones.  The  mountain 
stream  sung  its  wild  song  of  freedom  as  it  bounded  from 
rock  to  rock,  and  at  length  dashed  down  some  sixty 
feet  in  one  beautiful  cascade,  into  a  quiet  and  flower- 
fringed  mimic  lake.  Our  fugitives  at  length  saw  the 
lake  and  the  stream,  but  they  did  not  stop  to  note 
their  beauty,  for  the  cave  only  occupied  their  atten- 
tion. 

"  Rest  a  little  while,"  said  Jamie,  pointing  to  the 
rnoss-grown  roots  of  an  oak  which  projected  from  the 
earth,  "  I  will  soon  be  back ;"  and  directly  he  was  out 
of  sight.  The  two  thus  left  by  the  lake  were  hushed 
and  silent,  having  some  fears  that  their  old  robbers 
should  come  upon  them  before  Jamie  returned.  The  sun 
was  abroad,  but  not  in  this  dense  forest ;  for  the  old  patri- 
archs there  had  put  their  heads  together,  forming  a 
combination  which,  for  the  most  part,  excluded  the 
piercing  eye  of  the  king  of  day.  This  was  that  the 
flowers,  which  bloom  in  sequestered  life,  the  orchis 
Iribe,  &c..  might  be  quietly  secluded,  being  veiled  by 
green  drapery,  from  the  earnest  gaze  of  Sol,  and,  too, 
that  the  free  spirits  of  the  place,  invited  by  shadowy 


116  JAM  IE      PARKER 

coolness  to  pleasing  contemplation,  might  still  preside 
as  guardians  of  the  green-wood. 

As  Archj^  had  directed,  Jamie  traced  the  cataract 
some  distance  up  the  mountain,  then  crossed  it  on  a 
rustic  bridge  formed  by  an  upturned  Lireodendron.  On 
gaining  the  other  side,  after  a  little  searching,  he  found 
the  cave ;  its  entrance  hid  behind  a  thick  growth  of 
laurel,  overrun  with  eglantine,  in  tangled  luxuriance. 
To  clear  away  impediments  and  enter,  was  quick  work. 
The  apartment  was,  in  Jamie's  words,  "  as  large  as  two 
cabins,"  and  in  the  dim  light  he  saw  enough  to  comfort 
himself  with  the  thought  that  it  would  afford  a  safe 
asylum,  until  it  would  do  to  proceed  on  their  journey. 
Bounding  back,  he  was  soon  by  the  side  of  Kitt  and 
Ella,  telling  them  to  come  with  him,  and  then  the  three 
went  up  the  mountain  side,  crossed  the  ravine  by  the 
wind's  bridge,  and  gained  the  cave. 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  Ella,  "  how  dark  it  is  !" 
"  Never  mind,"  said  Jamie,  "  it  will  be  lighter  soon." 
"  Yes,"  said  Kitt,  "it's  right-smart  lighter  now." 
They  now  began  to  explore  the  rock-ceiled  apart- 
ment.    It  was  excavated  by  the  hand  of  the  Creator ; 
and  in  two  places  the  sides  of  the  cave  shelved  out  so 
as  to  form  berths  ;  and  the  straw  and  dried  leaves  laid 
thereon,  showed  that  the  room  had  been    inhabited. 


THE      FUGITIVE.  117 

The  entrance  being  so  well  guarded,  the  cave  was 
rather  dark,  but  this  made  it  all  the  safer,  and  was 
cause  of  congratulation  to  all  the  pilgrims  that  tarried 
there.  Having  become  a  little  acquainted  with  their 
abode,  and  made  their  bed  of  dried  leaves  and  moss, 
soon  they  'were  fast  asleep, — and  while  the  sweet  re- 
storer has  care  of  them,  let  us  look  again  at  some  deeply 
interested  in  the  runaways — Gripe  and  Company. 

We  can  not  stop  to  tell  how  Black  Brownson  chal- 
lenged Webster  Webb  for  trading  him  away,  but  did 
not  fight,  since  Webb  would  not,  who  said  in  the  course 
of  a  conciliatory  speech,  "  Besides,  my  friend,  you  are  not 
the  first  man  having  a  right  to  his  freedom,  that  Has  been 


When  Gripe  and  his  overseer  returned  to  the  forest 
from  their  unsuccessful  pursuit,  it  was  late  at  night. 
The  children,  during  the  day,  had  been  hard  driven  by 
Stithe,  who,  being  a  Northener.  knew  how  much  labor 
cou1 1  be  performed  by  them,  when  there  was  a  proper 
in"  entive,  and  in  the  absence  of  this  incentive,  substitu- 
f  ;d  the  lash.  Thus  they  collected  a  large  quantity  of 
grass  for  the  horses,  and  dry  decayed  wood  for  the  fire, 
and  when  night  came,  picking  up  what  scattered 
crumbs  of  food  they  could  find,  they  were  permitted  to 
slnop  in  the  shelter  made  by  the  bent  saplings  and 


118  JAMIE     PARKER 

boughs.  Now  that  Gripe  and  Strong  had  arrived,  there 
was  a  great  uproar,  for  they  left  in  the  morning  with 
the  strongest  assurance  that  they  would  bring  the  run- 
aways back,  "  hide  and  hair,"  and  so  miserably  to  have 
failed  in  executing  their  threat,  besides  being  jolted 
almost  to  death  in  the  crazy  carryall,  called  for  quite  a 
breeze  to  conceal  their  mortification.  After  a  confused 
consultation,  in  which  Gripe  did  not  spare  hard  language 
to  his  two  men,  on  whom  he  laid  the  blame  of  the 
escape,  he  began,  by  way  of  satisfying  the  demands  of 
his  ill-will,  to  strike  and  kick  the  poor  children.  If  the 
truth  were  told,  he  was  vexed  with  himself  for  indulg- 
ing so  freely  in  drinking,  the  night  previous.  Hereto- 
fore, although  addicted  to  drunken  carousal  now  and 
then,  he  had  never  been  guilty  of  losing  his  "  property" 
by  that  means,  as  he  first  saw  it  under  lock  and  key  be- 
fore he  gave  himself  up  unrestrained  to  his  appetite  for 
strong  drink.  So  to  help  the  matter,  he  continued  to 
torment  the  poor  helpless  children.  And  when  they 
cried,  he  treated  them  the  more  roughly,  and  fiercely 
bade  them,  "  Be  done."  But  the  sobs  would  burst  forth, 
being  stronger  than  the  resolutions  of  the  little  ones. 
At  last  the  barbarian  stopped  his  cruel  sport  from  pure 
weariness,  and  again  the  children,  as  many  as  could, 
were  permitted  to  sleep,  while  their  masters  held  council 


THE    FUGITIVE.  119 

on  future  movements.  Morning  came,  and  they  were 
early  stirring.  As  there  were  no  available  servants  on 
the  ground,  the  pale-faced  drovers  were  obliged  to  har- 
ness their  horses  ;  but  rather  than  get  their  breakfast, 
they  decided  to  ride  to  a  tavern  some  ten  miles  distant, 
on  the  road  to  Richmond,  whither  they  wished  to  pro- 
ceed with  all  possible  despatch.  They  packed  the 
children  in  the  wagon,  with  the  cooking  utensils, 
(which  were  to  be  returned  to  the  farm-house  at  their 
convenience,)  and  tying  the  saddle-horses  behind,  the 
three  getting  into  the  vehicle,  moved  off  before  sunrise. 

About  noon  of  the  same  day,  this  company  reached 
Richmond,  at  which  time  the  stock  which  remained  to 
the  slave-dealer,  was  deposited  in  one  of  the  eleven 
jails,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country.  For  the 
supposition  is  that  they  are  criminals,  or  would  get  free 
if  they  had  the  opportunity.  At  this  very  time,  there 
were  many  slaves  in  the  jail,  awaiting  sale  ;  their  mas- 
ters, meanwhile,  being  on  the  look-out  for  good  bar- 
gains. 

The  slave-dealer's  advertisements  are  seen  in  all  the 
Richmond  papers  forthwith,  and  the  community  is 
greatly  excited  thereupon.  The  good  people  are  thun- 
derstruck at  so  audacious  a  robbery.  They  are  inex- 
pressibly shocked  at  the  hardihood  and  bold  daring  of 


120  JAMIE    PARKER 

the  crime.  What !  so  many  slaves  in  the  well-regula- 
ted state  of  Virginia,  have  malice  enough  to  commit  a, 
highway  robbery  on  their  masters?  Steal  so  much 
property  from  their  lawful  owners  ?  The  old  gentle- 
men ominously  shake  their  heads,  and  tell  how  things 
have  been  waxing  worse  and  worse,  since  they  were 
young — and  how  the  glory  has  departed,  and  the 
scepter  is  taken  away  from  Judah,  (that  is  to  say  Vir- 
ginia,) all  suggested  by  the  emigration  of  the  slaves. 
The  young  men  feel  their  interests  affected,  and  think 
the  "goods  and  chattels"  when  taken,  should  he  hung, 
to  keep  their  kind  in  check.  All  who  hold  slaves  fear 
the  influence  of  the  experiment  of  running  away,  if  suc- 
cessful, on  "  their  people" — consequently  use  all  the 
means  in  their  power  to  arrest  those  who  have  so  un- 
ceremoniously slipped  their  necks  from  the  hard 
yoke. 

The  slave-dealer,  who  has  his  share  of  sympathy 
and  condolence,  spares  no  exertion  to  retake  his  stray 
property.  Not  only  does  he  continue  his  promises  of 
large  rewards  in  the  papers,  to  the  fortunate  hounds 
who  shall  seize  the  prey,  but  he  himself  rides  constable 
through  the  region  about  -Richmond,  to  get  some  clue  to 
the  same.  And  while  he  is  thus  on  the  look-out,  he  suc- 
ceeds in  peddling  awny,  at  retail,  his  remaining  stock, 


THE    FUGITIVE.  121 

the  children,  at  good  profits,  and  although  he  can  not 
cover  his  losses,  yet  he  has  some  consolation. 

Lest  a  wrong  impression  should  be  entertained  of  the 
nigger-buyer,  it  should  be  kept  in  mind,  that  he  was 
never  known  to  be  so  far  off  his  guard,  on  any  one  of 
the  many  occasions  when  he  was  taking  his  goods  to 
market,  as  at  the  forest  encampment.  Perhaps  his 
mortification  at  losing  the  good  bargain  he  had  chuckled 
at  making  with  Webster  Webb,  caused  him  to  give 
way  to  the  bottle  more  than  usual.  For  it  may  be  ob- 
served that  it  was  a  maxim  with  that  upright  individual 
never  to  get  intoxicated  whenever  bargains  were  to  be 
made.  Yet  has  he  been  known,  when  carrying  "two 
sheets  to  the  wind."  to  make  purchases  or  sales  highly 
advantageous  to  himself,  so  constantly  did  he  keep  in 
view  the  one  great  object  of  his  profession. 
11 


CHAPTER  XV. 


"  Woe !  unto  him  that  buildeth  his  house  by  unrighteousness, 
And  his  chambers  by  wrong- ; 
That  useth  his  neighbor's  service  without  wages, 
And  giveth  him  not  for  his  work."— JEREMIAH. 


Reckoning  with  conscience.     Letter  from  Saratoga.     Mr.   Chadwick  dis- 
tressed.   Writes  to  his  daughters. 

As  the  hero  in  this  narrative  is  the  slave,  and  not  the 
master,  we  have  little  to  do  with  Mr.  Chadwick.  Yet 
it  may  be  well  to  mention  that  he  was  sorry  to  sell  any 
of  his  servants,  and  when  the  price  of  their  bones  and 
sinews  was^placed  in  his  hands,  he  even  expressed  his 
regret  that  the  hard  times  impelled  him  to  make  the 
sale. 

"  It 's  a  hard  case,"  said  he,  as  overseer  Brazen  gave 
him  $2,000,  the  price  of  Jinny's  sons  ;  "  it 's  a  hard  case, 
but  I  am  right  glad  of  the  money,  and  think,  consider- 
ing circumstances ,  I  am  justified  in  disposing  of  them, 
for  'he  that  provideth  not  for  his  own  household  is 
worse  than  an  infidel.' " 

"  To  be  sure,"  chimed  in  the  knight  of  the  whipping- 
post. 

"  But,"  continued  the  master,  counting  the  money, 


THE     FUGITIVE.  123 

the  price  of  flesh  and  blood,  "  all  this  came  about,  it 
must  be  admitted,  mainly  from  your  two  turkeys  being 
stolen." 

"  Your  turkeys  ;  your  turkeys,  I  may  say,"  said  the 
overseer,  "  for  Mrs.  Brazen  was  fatting  them  on  pur- 
posely for  your  table." 

"  Ah,  indeed  ;  well  1  think  I  recollect  something 
about  it,"  said  the  planter,  "  however  it 's  all  the  same, 
it  was  the  disposition  to  steal  which  I  thought  it  my 
duty  to  frown  upon,  by  selling  the  lads,  thus  making 
them  examples  to  all  offenders."  The  confab  was  here 
interrupted  by  a  young  slave,  who  brought  in  the  pa- 
pers and  letters  from  the  post-office.  The  overseer  went 
his  way,  and  Mr.  Chadwick  began  to  read,  in  the  first 
place,  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Chadwick,  as  follows  : 

SARATOGA,  Aug.  15th,  18 — . 

DEAREST  CHARLES, — I  am  reminded  that  it  is  just  one  month,  since 
I  gave  you  an  account  of  our  much  lamented  losses.  In  every  com- 
munication to  you  since  that  time,  reluctantly,  I  have  been  obliged 
to  say  that  our  servants  could  not  be  found,  but  now  what  greatly 
aggravates  the  case  is,  being  found,  they  can  not  be  taken. 

A  party  from  Canada  arrived  at  this  place  last  week ;  some  of  them 
royal,  aristocratic  English  people.  We  have  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Lord  and  Lady  N.,  who  happened  to  be  in  Kingston,  where 
it  seems  our  runaways  have  taken  up  their  abode.  And  how  do 
you  think  I  found  out  that  they  were  there  ?  It  would  take  a  Yankee 
to  guess.  One  of  Lady  N.'s  dresses  had  a  trimming  about  the 
skirt,  precisely  similar  to  one  which  Judy  made  for  me.  I  thought 


124  JAMIE      PARKER 

no  other  person  could  make  one  just  like  it,  so  one  day,  as  we  were 
familiarly  chatting  together,  I  said  to  her,  that  I  did  not  know  that 
any  one  north  of  the  Potomac,  save  my  servant  Judy,  had  the  art  of 
making  trimmings  so  tastefully. 

"  My  dear  Madam,"  said  she,  with  some  surprise  ;  "  your  servant 
Judy  ;  pray,  where  is  she  ?" 

I  replied  that  "  she  had  taken  leave  of  absence,  and  had  gone,  I 
knew  not  whither." 

"  She  must  be  in  Canada,"  said  she,  "  for  when  I  was  in  King- 
ston, a  person  named  Judy  called  to  ask  me  if  I  would  allow  her  to 
work  for  me  on  trial.  She  said  she  was  a  mantua-maker,  and  used 
to  make  her  mistress'  dresses,  although  she  had  also  been  employed 
as  a  ladies'  maid.  She  was  neatly  dressed,  and  her  appearance  was 
so  favorable,  that  I  gave  her  this  dress  to  make,  and  I  must  say,  that 
my  work  was  never  done  better.  I  found  that  she  resided  in  a  re- 
tired cottage  with  her  father,  and  sister  Rose.  The  former  has  been 
in  the  country  for  some  years." 

Said  I,  when  a  little  composed,  "  Do  the  servants  reside  in  cot- 
tages like  free  people  ?" 

"  Those  who  have  been  servants  certainly  do,  my  dear  Madam," 
said  she.  And  then  she  told  me  of  a  visit  she  made  Judy,  at  her 
father's  cottage,  which  is  neatly  white-washed  within  and  without. 
John  supports  himself  making  baskets,  and  sings  and  whistles  all 
day  long,  he  is  so  happy  at  his  work  now  that  his  daughters  are 
with  him.  I  was  glad  to  hear  that  he  was  well,  for  I  feel  that  we 
have  justly  an  interest  in  him  ;  and,  poor  man,  I  pity  him  if  he  gets 
into  our  hands  a  second  time,  for  he  will  have  no  small  sum  to  pay 
to  discharge  the  debt  he  owes  us.  I  wonder  much  where  the  con- 
science of  the  servants  is,  that  they  can,  with  such  complacency, 
steal  themselves  from  those  who  lawfully  own  them  !  Talk  about 
all  men  being  born  free  and  equal,  as  these  Northerners  do,  can 
they  ever  consider  that  the  slave  is  created  without  that  conscience 
which  usually  appears  in  our  race  ? 

Lady  N.  and  myself  had  a  long  turnpike  talk  on  this  interesting 


JAMIE     PARKER  125 

subject.  I  told  her  that  the  three  persons  described,  were  our  prop- 
erty, and  that  we  should  most  certainly  claim  them,  according  to 
law.  Think  she  did  not  laugh  outright  at  my  simplicity  as  she 
termed  it. 

"  My  dear  madam,"  said  she,  "  do  you  not  know  that  they  are 
safe  under  the  wing  of  Victoria's  government  ?" 

"  True,"  said  I,  "  but  what  of  that?  They  have  wandered  from 
the  fold,  and  must  be  brought  back." 

"  Ah,"  said  she,  "  they  think  that  they  are  now,  for  the  first  time, 
safe  in  the  fold,  and  look  upon  you  pursuers  as  the  wolves." 

Would  you  think  it  ?  I  found  myself  talking  abolition  with  an 
English  lady  ?  I  fear  me,  if  I  should  remain  another  season,  I  should 
have  the  mania,  for  the  very  air  is  infected  with  it. 

I  told  her  that  I  really  must  have  Judy  and  Rose,  so  difficult  it 
was  getting  on  without  them.  She  replied  as  coolly  as  possible, 
u  They  want  themselves  more  than  you  can  possibly  want  them,  and 
they  find  it  very  easy  and  vastly  comfortable  getting  along  without 
you." 

At  this  I  was  quite  disposed  to  be  angry,  but  kept  my  temper  by 
considering  the  very  different  manner  in  which  we  had  been  educa- 
ted, and  while  I  pitied  her  for  her  aberration,  I  could  not  persuade 
myself  that  I  was  perfectly  right  in  all  my  opinions. 

Our  hired  servants  do  very  well,  and  I  have  great  satisfaction,  I 
must  acknowledge,  in  paying  them  regular  wages,  enjoying  the 
consciousness  that  they  have  an  equivalent  for  their  labor.  It  is  true 
I  do  not  think  that  I  have  wronged  one  of  the  tribe  of  servants  at 
Monmouth,  but  still  there  is  some  difference  in  giving  old  clothes 
and  in  paying  some  stipulated  sum  weekly.  Apropos  of  Judy,  Lady 
N.  says  she  is  employed  by  the  first  people  of  the  place,  and  assisted 
by  Rose,  will,  doubtless,  yet  make  quite  a  little  fortune.  She  also 
gave  me  some  information,  in  answer  to  my  inquiries,  respecting  the 
"  plantation  emigrants'1''  who  have  settled  in  Canada.  It 's  per- 
fectly surprising  what  quantities  have  accumulated  in  the  vicinity 

of .  Why,  if  I  recollect  aright,  there  are  about  20,000  who 

11* 


126 


JAMIE    PARKER 


have  been  dogged  and  advertised  by  their  rightful  owners,  all  to  no 
purpose  !  There  they  live,  like  lordly  Englishmen,  all  legal  subjects 
of  her  majesty,  little  Vic.  !  I  am  told  that  about  fifty  pass  through 
Albany  every  week,  and  these  must  be  no  comparison  to  the  num- 
ber leaking  through  Ohio.  Just  so  long  as  we  are  united  to  the  free 
states,  in  our  present  relation,  the  balance  of  power  being  at  the 
North,  just  so  long  shall  we  be  exposed  to  this  ruinous  loss  of  prop- 
erty. Now,  the  free  states  are  only  vast  leak-holes  to  our  gallant 
ship,  and  will  ultimately  sink  her,  labor  hard  as  we  may  at  the 
pumps,  unless  some  remedy  can  be  devised.  My  woman  ingenuity 
is  baffled,  if  the  newly  acquired  possessions  of  New  Mexico  and 
golden  California,  made  into  slave  territory,  will  not  avail.  Got 
the  most  power  South,  and  the  North,  with  her  cold  winds,  may 
whistle  in  vain  for  runaways. 

How  our  ignorant  people  know  so  well  where  to  go,  in  escaping, 
is  a  grand  mystery.  I  am  told,  however,  that  there  are  regular 
routes  of  travel  marked  out  for  them  by  these  soi-disant  "  friends," 
commencing  on  the  borders  of  our  dominions ;  so  that  the  moment 
one  sets  foot  in  a  free  state,  he  has  enough  to  help  him  on  his  way. 
The  Quakers  are  ever  ready  to  proffer  their  aid  ;  and  there  are  vig- 
ilance committees  established  in  all  the  principal  cities,  whose  busi- 
ness it  is  to  help  our  men  and  women  fly  to  Canada. 

It  is  clear  that  most  of  the  people  North  are  disposed  to  assist  the 
servants  in  getting  free.  The  exceptions  are  generally  those  that 
own  property  at  the  South,  which  causes  them  to  have  views  more 
in  unison  with  ours. 

I  asked  Lady  N.,  in  conversation,  how  much  England  could  boast 
over  America,  as  it  regarded  oppression  ?  She  replied  that  she  was 
aware  that  her  country  sustained  a  tyrannical  and  oppressive  system 
toward  its  poor,  but  yet  they  were  not  bought  and  sold  like  chattels. 

Lady  N.  is  so  gentle,  affable,  beautiful,  genteel,  and  intelligent 
withal,  that  there  is  no  withstanding  her  winning  ways.  And 
although  I  know  that  she  is  a  decided  abolitionist,  yet  it  is  hard  for 
me  to  realize  it  in  her  presence,  she  has  so  many  estimable  qualities. 


THE    FUGITIVE.  127 

T  am  quite  sure  that  you  would  be  fascinated  with  her,  for  with  all 
my  prejudices,  I  am. 

Pocahontas  says,  "  Mamma,  you  must  be  bewitched  !"  Virginia, 
dear  child,  says,  "  Jf  mamma  is  bewitched,  she  is  sure  she  is  too,  for 
Lady  N.  is  too  charming  for  any  thing  on  earth.  I  hope  you  will 
see  our  danger  and  come  for  us  forthwith.  And  now  that  I  am  on 
this  subject,  to  omit  nothing,  I  must  tell  you  that  I  have  actually 
been  reading  some  of  Lady  N.'s  papers  of  late,  and,  moreover,  set- 
ting aside  my  southern  feelings,  I  think  them  vastly  interesting. 

I  picture  to  myself  Judy,  hanging  out  her  mantua-maker's  sign, 
with  Rose  in  partnership,  and  a  train  of  runaways  as  apprentices  to 
the  trade.  Really,  ff  I  were  not  a  party  concerned,  I  should  think 
this  getting  away  of  the  servants,  and  establishing  themselves  on 
their  own  account,  the  most  romantic  instances  of  romance  to  be 
found. 

Indeed,  I  would  like  just  to  peep  into  John's  cottage,  (would  not 
you  ?)  and  compare  it  with  his  old  leaky  cabin  at  the  quarters.  And 
then  I  would  like  to  sit  down  by  his  fireside  and  have  him  tell  me 
his  adventures  in  getting  to  Canada.  Well,  I  am  glad  that  you  sold 
Jamie,  Kitt,  and  Tray,  although  I  was  so  fond  of  Jamie,  for  I  make 
sure  that  they  will  run  away  sooner  or  later,  and  join  their  family  in 
Canada.  And  it  is  certainly  better  for  our  pockets,  to  sell  them  as  a 
preventive  of  the  loss.  Still  I  think  selling  servants  is  cruel,  and 
one  of  the  greatest  objections  to  our  system. 

Please  tell  Mrs.  Dorothy  that  she  may  increase  the  task  of  the 
spinners  half  a  pound  more  per  week.  I  find  they  do  not  do  half 
the  work  that  free  laboring  women  North  accomplish,  and  it  is 
kindness  for  us  to  keep  them  well  employed.  The  young  ladies 
wish  to  be  remembered  to  papa  with  much  love. 
Hoping  soon  to  see  you,  I  remain, 

Your  devoted  MARY. 

On  reading  this  letter,  a  strange  compound  of  emo- 
tions took  possession  of  Mr.  Chadwick.  "Mary  must 


128  JAMIE     PARKER 

be  crazy!"  at  length  thought  he  to  himself.  "My 
poor  Mary  is  certainly  deranged,  and  all  for  those  mis- 
erable runaways.  Fool  that  I  was  to  allow  her  to  go 
to  the  North  alone,  and  have  so  much  care,  all  because 
I  thought  my  business  required  my  presence  at  home. 
I  am  a  loser,  in  every  sense,  by  this  arrangement. 
Had  I  gone  to  the  Springs,  in  all  probability  my  ser- 
vants had  not  escaped,  and  Mary  had  not  lost  her 
senses."  These  were  some  of  the  reflections  of  the 
planter,  as  he  paced  his  lonely  parlor.  At  last,  compos- 
ing himself  as  much  as  possible,  he  sat  down  and  wrote 
Mrs.  Chadwick  the  most  kind  and  soothing  letter  in 
his  power,  concluding  it  by  saying  that  he  would  come 
for  her  as  soon  as  possible.  At  the  same  time,  he 
wrote  another  letter  to  his  daughters,  Pocahontas  and 
Virginia,  wherein  he  dropped  a  hint  of  his  anxiety  re- 
specting their  mother,  and  begged  them  to  devote  them- 
selves to  her  until  his  arrival,  which  would  be  soon 
after  the  letters  were  received.  This  done,  the  afflicted 
man  dispatched  the  letters  to  the  post-office,  and  di- 
rectly commenced  putting  his  house  and  plantation  in 
order,  for  his  visit  North. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


'Oh,  think  not  that  thou  art  forgot 
tiy  Him  who  view*  thy  lonely  lot, 

Thou  hunted  child  of  earth  ; 
He  hears  the  ravens  when  iney  cry, 
And  will  He  not  their  wants  supply, 

Of  more  exulted  worth?" 


Arcby  and  Carlo  set  out  for  the  cave.  Gumfrey  and  Tray.  A  happy  meet- 
ing. Sufferings  of  comrades  left  behind.  Jamie  resolves  to  go  to  their  help. 
Discovers  their  hiding-place.  He  gives  them  food,  and  persuades  them  to 
follow  him. 

WE  left  the  wanderers  asleep  in  the  cave,  and  now 
that  it  is  night,  or  their  day,  let  us  return  to  them.  Old 
Archy.  faithful  to  his  promise,  as  the  evening  drew  on, 
prepared  to  visit  them.  His  superannuated  sister,  Edy, 
had  made  herself  busy  the  livelong  day,  in  putting  to- 
gether, shabbily,  of  course,  some  old  clothes  cut  over  for 
the  travelers,  whom  her  dim  eyes  had  seen  the  night 
previous.  She  also  robbed  herself  of  the  food  for  the 
day,  that  she  might  have  something  to  send  them,  for 
said  she,  "  de  poor  things  will  starve  ;  dat  they  will !" 
With  the  bundle  of  clothing  and  the  food,  Archy  was 
well  loaded ;  so  taking  his  staff,  and  whistling  low  to 
Carlo,  he  sat  out. 

Archy  and  Edy  were  supposed  to  be  more  helpless 
I 


130  JAMIE     PARKER 

than  they  really  were,  consequently  less  was  required 
of  them  than  they  were  able  to  do.  It  is  a  common 
thing  among  the  enslaved  to  feign  greater  age  and  im- 
becility than  they  really  possess,  in  order  to  escape  bur- 
densome tasks.  Old  Archy  and  Edy,  it  must  be  ac- 
knowledged, were  either  guilty  of  this  device,  or  else 
wanting  the  proper  incentives  to  exertion,  appeared 
older  and  more  helpless  than  would  have  been  the  case 
in  other  circumstances.  Archy,  by  starting  off  on  the 
expedition  to  the  cave,  showed  that  he  was  able  to  work 
when  he  had  motives  sufficient,  and  had  more  strength 
than  was  expended  on  a  few  knots  of  a  seine,  or  part  of 
a  basket,  his  allotted  daily  task.  And  Edy,  by  cutting 
over  and  repairing  old  garments,  showed  that  she  was 
not  quite  so  utterly  helpless  as  reported  on  the  annual 
inventory.  But  how  wretched  that  state  of  society  that 
leads  people  to  wish  to  be  thought  old  and  useless. 

Archy,  with  his  faithful  Carlo,  soon  gained  the 
forest.  It  was  a  favorable  night  for  him,  the  moon 
being  obscured  by  curtains  of  dark-lead  clouds :  and 
well  concealed  by  the  darkness,  he  went  boldly  on.  It 
happened  that  Tray  and  Gumfrey  had  also  proceeded 
a  little  out  of  the  line  of  march  indicated  by  the  north 
star,  to  seek  the  protection  which  the  mountains 
afforded,  and  at  this  very  time  lay  crouched  in  a 


THE    FUGITIVE.  131 

thicket,  near  the  path  which  old  Archy  took  to  go  to 
the  cavern.  Carlo,  being  a  dog  of  quick  perceptions, 
knew,  at  some  distance,  that  all  was  not  right.  How- 
ever, restraining  himself  for  the  sake  of  his  dignity,  he 
simply  gave  a  low  growl  of  disapprobation,  until  him- 
self and  master  were  alongside  the  hedge,  when,  think- 
ing it  high  time  for  decided  measures,  he  sprang  into 
the  bushes  with  quite  warlike  exclamations. 

"  Come  out  there,"  said  the  old  man. 

"Won't  you  be  done,  you  dog?"  spoke  out  Gum- 
frey. 

'•  Be  good  enough  to  call  your  'dog  off,  will  you  ?" 
said  Tray,  for  he  knew  that  he  was  speaking  to  a 
brother. 

"  Carlo,  be  done  !"  said  Archy,  in  a  tone  that  showed 
that  he  was  in  earnest.  So  the  dog  held  his  peace, 
and  simply  growled  for  an  explanation.  Tray  and 
Gumfrey  came  forth  from  their  hiding-place,  for  there 
was  a  something  in  the  old  man's  voice  which  inspired 
the  confidence  that  he  would  befriend  them,  and,  may- 
hap, guide  them  on  their  way.  Their  story  was  soon 
told,  and  the  old  man  said  to  them  that,  as  he  was  go- 
ing to  a  cave  to  visit  some  people  who,  like  them,  were 
bound  for  the  North,  he  would  lead  them  there,  to  abide 
until  they  should  choose  to  proceed  on  their  journey.. 


132  JAMIEPARKER 

They  felt  grateful  for  this,  and  the  three  went  on  to- 
gether. They  reached  the  cave  in  due  time,  the  in- 
mates of  which  were  sitting  in  darkness,  awaiting  old 
Archy's  approach.  Telling  the  strangers  to  remain 
without  until  he  could  prepare  those  within  for  their  re- 
ception, he  entered  and  made  himself  known  to  the 
three,  who  gladly  received  him.  He  then  went  to  a  cor- 
ner of  the  apartment  where  he  had  deposited  a  quantity 
of  pine  knots  some  time  before,  and  lighting  one  with  a 
match,  the  room  was  directly  illuminated.  He  then 
proceeded  to  introduce  Tray  and  Gumfrey.  Jamie  and 
Kitt  were  overwhelmed  with  joy  to  meet  Tray,  who 
was  just  as  glad  on  his  part  to  meet  them ;  and  little 
Ella,  from  mere  sympathy,  was  as  happy  as  the  rest. 
Old  Archy  clapped  his  hands  in  ecstacy,  as  he  saw  the 
brothers  clasped  in  each  other's  arms,  and,  weeping  for 
joy,  he  could  only  say,  "  The  Lord  be  praised  !"  Gum- 
frey stood  apart,  striving,  by  caresses,  to  cultivate  the 
friendship  of  the  dog,  and,  now  and  then,  you  might 
hear  him  mutter,  as  the  tears  came  unbidden,  "  No  kin 
to  me  ;  nobody 's  no  kin  to  me !" 

Still  expressing  his  joy,  old  Archy  began  to  prepare 
supper,  while  the  brothers  and  little  Ella  were  telling 
their  adventures,  and  Gumfrey  was  cultivating  further 
acquaintance  with  Carlo.  Sleep  had  been  the  only 


THE      FUGITIVE.  133 

food  of  those  in  the  cave  during  the  day,  and  now  they 
were  feasting  on  the  happy  meeting. 

"  Who  thought  you  'd  find  us,  so  well  hid  ?"  said 
Ella,  as  she  seated  herself  beside  Tray. 

"  Ah,"  said  Kitt,  laughing,  "  you  found  us,  in  trying 
to  hide  yourselves." 

"  Yes,"  said  Tray,  looking  grave,  "  but  I  must  tell 
you  about  the  people  we  left  behind." 

And  then  while  all  mutely  listened,  he  drew  a  mourn- 
ful picture  of  the  sufferings  of  two  of  their  party,  whom 
he  had  discovered  in  the  ruins  of  an  old  church,  a  few 
miles  back.  Too  fearful  to  go  out  to  get  the  necessary 
supplies  of  food,  they  were  dying  of  despair  and  hunger. 
Tray  and  Gumfrey  brought  them  water  in  an  old  gourd 
from  a  spring  near  by,  and  foraged  for  corn  one  night 
to  satisfy  their  hunger.  And  when  they  were  a  little 
strengthened  by  the  food,  they  used  every  persuasion  to 
have  their  comrades  accompany  them,  but  it  was  to  no 
purpose,  the  latter  determined  to  stay  there  and  die, 
rather  than  face  the  danger  of  striving  to  get  free. 
Faint,  weary,  and  depressed,  they  looked  only  for  death 
as  a  deliverer.  Jamie  heard  the  story  of  which  we 
have  given  the  amount,  and  immediately  resolved  to  go 
to  these  dying  men,  regardless  of  consequences.  Said 
he,  "It  was  I  that  persuaded  them  to  be  free,  and 


134  JAM  IE     PARKER 

now  1  must  not  let  them  die  by  the  way,  if  I  can  help 
it." 

Archy  had  now  spread  their  evening  meal,  which 
consisted  of  ash-pones,  a  few  slices  of  meat,  and  a 
delicious  water-melon.  The  little  party  ate  standing-, 
as  the  food  was  spread  on  one  of  the  shelving  rocks  by 
the  side  of  the  room.  Before  eating,  as  they  stood 
together  by  their  food,  old  Archy,  folding  his  hands, 
asked  a  blessing,  and  then  did  the  honors  of  the  table. 
Jamie  then  opened  to  his  friends  his  plan  of  seeking  to 
rescue  the  two  sick  men. 

This  was  strongly  opposed  by  every  one  except  old 
Archy,  who  remained  silent,  considering  the  matter. 

"  Oh  !  Jamie,  please  done  stay  with  us,"  said  Ella. 

"  I  '11  go  with  you  if  you  go,"  said  Tray. 

"  What  shall  we  do  if  they  take  you?"  said  Kitt. 

"  I  shan  't  let  you  go,"  said  Ella,  leaving  her  supper, 
and  clinging  to  his  side,  "  and  then  they  won  't  get 
you !" 

"  What  if  we  were  sick  and  dying  for  something  to 
eat,  and  Archy  should  be  afraid  to  come  and  see  us  ?" 

"  You  may  go,"  said  Ella. 

"  Our  poor  brothers  will  die  in  that  old  church,  unless 
I  go  and  see  them,"  continued  Jamie. 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Tray. 


THE     FUGITIVE.  135 

"  May  I  too  ?"  eagerly  asked  Ella. 

u  No,  no,"  said  old  Archy,  "  you  don  't  know  how 
bad  it  will  be  to  go.  A  great  deal  of  money  will  be 
given  to  the  man  that  finds  you.  Nobody  can  go  but 
Jamie,  and  he  may  be  taken  if  he  goes.  Men  and  dogs 
are  out,  day  and  night,  to  find  your  track,  and  you  must 
have  the  eagle's  eye  open.  Jamie,  mayhap  you  '11  be 
taken !" 

"  Still  I  must  go !"  replied  the  undaunted  youth. 

"  I  'm  glad  you  wish  to  go,  but  I  must  take  your 
place,  for  I  am  an  old  man,  and  never  expect  to  get  free. 
If  you  stay  here  until  you  follow  the  star  again,  you  may 
be  free,  but  if  you  turn  back7' the  old  man  con- 
cluded the  sentence  by  an  ominous  shake  of  the  head. 

Jamie  put  his  hand  on  Archy's  shoulder,  "  I  shall 
never  let  you  take  my  place."  said  he,  "  much  as  I  long 
to  be  free.  I  will  go  myself,  and  you  must  pray  our 
Father,  to  save  me  from  the  dogs  and  men." 

"  I  can  not  let  you  go,'J  said  old  Archy,  with  the  tears 
coursing  down  his  cheeks,  for  he  knew  too  well  the 
fearful  odds  in  the  case. 

"  I  shall  be  safe  in  the  care  of  our  Father !"  replied 
Jamie;  then  turning  to  Tray  and  Gumfrey,  he  asked  of 
them  directions  for  the  way,  which  they  gave  in  longer 
detail  than  we  can  follow. 


136  JAM  IE      PARKER 

"  Well,  well,"  said  old  Archy,  brushing  away  his 
tears,  "  if  you  will  go,  here 's  my  staff,  and  you  can 
whistle  Carlo  to  take  care  of  you." 

"  No  indeed  !"  replied  Jamie,  "  I  shall  not  take  away 
all  you  have.  I  can  do  well  enough  without  the  staff 
and  dog." 

The  brothers  and  Ella  began  to  sob,  while  Jamie  pre- 
pared to  go. 

"  I  will  be  back  in  a  little  while,  may  be,"  said  he,  as 
he  finished  tying  up  some  of  the  remains  of  their  meal 
for  the  men  he  was  to  visit ;  then  putting  on  his  tat- 
tered cap,  he  left  the  cave,  with  a  hasty  farewell,  and 
bounding  lightly  down  the  mountain,  on  the  bank  of 
the  thunder-stream,  he  was  soon  threading  the  mazy 
forest,  as  directed  by  Tray  and  Gumfrey.  A  mantle  of 
darkness  shielded  him  from  the  eyes  of  men,  if  any 
there  were  about  his  way,  just  as  the  leaden  clouds  hid 
the  moon  in  her  night  promenade  in  the  sky.  Daunt- 
less, he  urged  his  way  onward,  having  a  strong,  noble 
motive  for  action,  and  about  midnight  reached  the  ruins 
of  the  dilapidated  church.  The  clouds  began  to  dis- 
perse just  as  he  was  safely  hid  behind  the  deep  shadow 
of  the  massy  walls  of  the  edifice.  Then  sallying  forth 
in  resplendent  brightness,  the  moon  shed  her  silver  rays 
on  the  earth. 


THE    FUGITIVE.  137 

The  church  was  one  of  those  ancient  houses  of  wor- 
ship, built  some  two  hundred  years  since,  by  the  early 
settlers  of  the  Old  Dominion.  There  are  yet  standing 
in  eastern  Virginia,  the  remains  of  several  of  these  old 
churches,  to  tell  of  the  glebe  days  of  the  olden  time, 
when  the  jovial  sportsmen-rectors  presided  over  the 
religion  of  the  church.  These  houses  of  worship  were 
built  in  the  most  antique  form,  and  generally  in  the 
style  of  the  English  churches  of  that  day.  The  con- 
struction was  as  if  two  oblong  buildings  crossed  each 
other  centrally  at  right  angles,  so  that  the  church  had 
four  fronts,  and  four  indented  corners,  alternating  with 
the  fronts.  Over  each  door  at  each  of  the  four  fronts, 
was  a  curious  circular  window,  and  in  each  of  the  two 
sides  which  formed  a  corner  were  beautiful  gothic  win- 
dows. The  walls  were  built  of  stone,  or  brick,  three 
feet  in  thickness,  and  when  the  fire  went  out  on  the 
altar,  and  men  came  up  no  more  to  worship,  they  re- 
mained for  ages,  mementos  of  the  past,  while  the  bat, 
the  owl,  and  the  swallow  abode  there,  and  the  vulture- 
tooth  of  Time  preyed  on  the  ruin.  It  was  in  a  church 
of  this  description,  whose  roof  had  long  since  decayed 
and  fallen  in,  which  had  been  robbed  of  its  windows  by 
covetous  overseers,  that  the  sufferers  were  hid.  It  was 
comparatively  a  safe  hiding-place,  for  men  had  now  no 

1.2* 


138  JAMIE      PARKER 

further  temptation  to  pilfer  there,  and  there  were  few 
that  felt  interested  in  visiting  the  graves  among  the  an- 
cient oaks  in  the  church-yard  enclosure. 

Jamie  cautiously  crept  within,  and  by  a  signal  whis- 
tle understood  among  the  fugitives,  made  himself  known 
to  the  two  men,  who.  hid  behind  a  part  of  the  roof 
which  had  fallen  in  the  vestry-room,  were  patiently 
waiting  death  by  the  slow  and  tormenting  hand  of 
famine.  The  questioning  whistle  was  faintly  answered, 
and  guided  by  the  sound,  Jamie  found  his  comrades. 

"  I  have  brought  you  food,"  .said  he,  as  he  helped 
them  to  rise  and  sit  up.  The  men  seized  it  ravenously, 
and  spoke  not  until  it  was  devoured,  and  then  it  was  to 
ask  for  more. 

"  I  can  not  give  you  more  now,"  said  Jamie,  fearing 
to  indulge  them  in  eating  freely  after  so  long  absti- 
nence. 

"  When  will  you  done  give  us  more  ?"  said  they,  with 
the  eagerness  of  half-starved  children. 

"  When  you  will  go  with  me."  replied  he. 

"  Then  we  will  go  now  !"  said  one  in  a  weak  voice. 

"  Yes,  we  are  ready,"  said  the  other  feebly.  And 
with  this  they  both  tried  to  stand,  and  barely  succeeded, 
supporting  themselves  by  the  wall ;  but  the  desire  of  get- 
ting more  food  strengthened  them  to  follow  Jamie,  and 


THE     FUGITIVE.  139 

crawl  out  of  the  church  in  which  they  had  remained 
ten  days  without  food,  except  the  corn  which  Tray 
brought  them.  When  these  men,  with  the  help  of  their 
leader,  were  without  the  old  church,  in  its  deep  shadow, 
he  made  them  sit  down  and  rest,  while  he  explained  to 
them  the  plan  he  had  to  aid  them  in  escaping.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  hope  of  ever  getting  free  had  all  gone 
out  of  their  hearts,  and  they  heard  as  though  they 
heard  not,  but  continued  to  ask  him  for  more  food. 
After  putting  them  off  as  long  as  he  could3  Jamie  gave 
them  a  part  of  the  remaining  pone,  and  succeeding  in 
cheering  them  with  his  account  of  the  cave,  persuaded 
them  to  follow  him  in  the  route  to  the  adjoining  forest.  ' 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Sadness  in  the  cave.  Fifty  huntsmen.  Jamie  and  his  companions  over- 
powered. Rejoicings  at  the  inn.  Rum  the  moderator.  Secret  departure 
of  the  captors. 

THE  company  in  the  cave  were  silent,  save  sobs,  for 
some  time  after  Jamie's  departure.  The  pine-knot  burnt 
brilliantly  in  the  niche  of  the  wall,  and  from  without 
was  heard  the  voice  of  the  water  leaping  from  rock  to 
rock.  Ella  crept  to  old  Archy,  for  her  feet  were  badly 
torn,  and  weeping,  hid  her  head  in  his  bosom.  When 
she  had  wept  herself  asleep,  old  Archy,  assisted  by 
Tray,  dressed  her  arm  and  feet  with  some  of  the  salve 
and  soft  linen  which  Edy,  in  her  grandmotherliness, 
thought  to  send.  She  slept  in  his  arms  till  midnight, 
when  quietly  laying  her  on  her  bed  of  leaves,  and 
spreading  over  her  some  of  the  old  garments  he  had 
brought,  he  left  her.  Then  charging  the  two  brothers 
and  Gumfrey  to  beware  how  they  ventured  to  show 
themselves  without  the  cave  by  day-light,  and  saying 
that  he  would  come  again  with  more  food  the  next 
night,  he  departed. 

As  several  days  had  elapsed  since  the  "  escape,"  the 
country  was  very  generally  apprised  of  the  event,  and 


THE     FUGITIVE.  141 

somewhat  extensively  on  the  alert  to  apprehend  the 
absconded  articles.  The  mountains  and  forests,  how- 
ever, remained  true  to  their  trust.  And  these  same 
noble  mountains,  that  hid  our  travelers  so  safely, 
shielded  at  that  very  time,  in  other  fastnesses,  a  large 
party  of  emigrants  to  the  North,  as  the  notes  of  the  New 
York  Committee  of  Vigilance  show. 

On  the  night  of  which  we  were  speaking,  no  less 
than  fifty  men,  thirsting  for  the  advertised  reward,  were 
scouring  the  country  for  the  fugitives'  trail. 

There  was  a  tavern  a  few  miles  from  Yuocomico, 
which  name  we  give  the  church  where  the  poor  men 
were  hid,  and  on  this  same  evening,  ten  bar-room  loun- 
gers took  oath,  over  a  glass  of  brandy,  that  they  would 
take  some  of  the  missing  property  before  morning.  So 
they  wisely  concluded  to  be  moderate  drinkers,  until 
after  the  search.  Resolving  themselves  into  five  divis- 
ions of  twos,  they  were  to  take  as  many  different  direc- 
tions. Their  modus  operandi  being  arranged,  the  blood- 
hound committee  left  the  tavern  about  nine  o'clock. 
What  little  efficiency  they  possessed  was  tasked,  to  cut 
if  possible  the  trail  of  the  escaping,  who  were  only  obey- 
ing the  great  instinct  of  Nature,  the  pursuit  of  happiness, 
and  to  which  they  had  an  inalienable  right. 

The  wolf-dosrs  barked  on  in  oaths  and  execrations, 


142  JAMIE      PARKER 

but  we  forbear  following  them  in  all  their  progress. 
We  must,  however,  meet  two  of  them  returning1  to  the 
inn,  as  poor  Jamie  and  his  companions  were  obliged  to 
do. 

Jamife  had  succeeded  in  coaxing  his  companions 
nearly  to  the  borders  of  the  forest,  when  these  hunters 
suddenly  came  upon  them.  The  two  feeble  men  uttered 
a  cry  of  terror  and  sank  helpless  on  the  ground.  Jamie 
bounded  away  and  had  easily  escaped,  but  seeing 
them  in  the  power  of  their  adversaries,  turned  back  to 
their  rescue.  As  they  made  no  resistance,  he  found 
himself  battling  alone  with  two  powerful  men,  who  soon 
bound  him  and  made  him  as  helpless  as  they  could 
wish.  The  two  faint-hearted  ones  were  now  ordered  to 
get  up !  and  then  were  bound  with  leathern  thongs, 
their  captors  being  prepared  for  this  emergency,  and  the 
three  were  firmly  fastened  together,  so  as  to  render 
escape  impossible. 

They  were  thus  marched  to  the  tavern  as  fast  as  the 
feeble  men  could  go.  It  was  nearly  morning  when 
they  arrived,  and  the  prisoners  were  quite  exhausted 
with  the  fatigues  and  events  of  the  night.  Jamie  was 
deeply  stricken  with  this  total  failure  of  the  attempted 
escape,  to  say  nothing  of  his  agony  at  rinding  himself 
again  a  slave.  He  felt  that  liberty  was  almost  his 


THE     FUGITIVE.  143 

own.  and  since  so  near  the  possession  of  the  prize,  his 
noble  soul  expanded  with  desires  that  others  might 
share  it  too.  For  this  periling  all,  he  lost  all !  But 
has  he  no  solace  1  Ah,  yes,  he  has  consolation  in  the 
thought  that  he  is  suffering  for  trying  to  save  others, 
and  reposing  firm  trust  in  our  Father,  whose  ear  is  ever 
open  to  hear  the  cry  of  His  suffering  children,  he  is  sus- 
tained amid  his  sorrows. 

Great  were  the  rejoicings  at  the  inn  because  of  the 
recapture,  and  although  it  was  at  the  early  hour  of  two 
in  the  morning,  yet  in  fifteen  minutes  after  the  arrival, 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  pertaining  to  the  estab- 
lishment, was  crowded  in  and  around  the  bar-room, 
where  the  exhibition  was  being  made,  and  the  chief 
talker  of  the  two  robbers,  after  his  glass,  continued  to 
tell  over  and  over  again  the  exact  operation  of  taking 
some  of  the  advertised  articles.  After  well  gorging  their 
curiosity,  the  people  so  readily  collected,  dispersed,  and 
the  captives  were  directed  to  lay  down  on  the  bare  floor 
until  further  orders. 

One  after  another  of  the  different  divisions  of  twos 
arrived,  each  unsuccessful,  but  with  one  consent  dis- 
posed to  make  a  great  uproar,  and  "  Fourth-of-July" 
celebration,  on  the  occasion  of  their  comrades'  success. 

Long  before  day's  blue  eye  was  open,  all  the  "  ten" 


1 44  J  A  M  I  E      P  A  R  K  E  R 

arrived,  and  as  some  of  them  had  faithfully  traveled  for 
the  scent  the  whole  of  the  night,  they  were  out  of 
humor,  and  disposed  to  be  jealous  of  those  luckier  than 
themselves. 

Having  sufficiently  displayed  their  cur  temper,  by 
growling  and  snapping,  they  at  length  got  reconciled 
over  the  bottle,  which  the  landlord  in  the  faithful  dis- 
charge of  the  duties  of  his  vocation  recommended  as  a 
grand  adjuster  of  difficulties. 

"  Nothing  like  rum,"  said  he,  and  he  practically  advo- 
cated its  use,  as  his  very  deep-hued  face  testified,  "  Noth- 
ing like  rum.  it  settles  more  disputes  than  all  the  law- 
yers in  the  land !" 

''Exactly!"  said  No.  one,  "just  so!" 

"  Them 's  my  'pinions  !"  chimed  No.  two. 

"  Let  us  have  some  of  your  New  England  best !" 
called  No.  three. 

«  Very  best !"  said  No.  four. 

"  I  vote  for  something  to  drink  !"  said  No.  five. 

tf  Bad  night  this  for  colds  !"  coughed  No.  six. 

"  Fever-and-ague  night,  decidedly,"  shivered  No. 
seven,  in  a  chill. 

"  We  '11  take  a  drop  of  comfort,  and  then  we  '11  divide 
our  profits !"  very  considerately  remarked  No.  eight. 

"  Not  at  all !"  exclaimed  No.  nine,  one  of  the  captors. 


THE      FUGITIVE.  145 

"  we  do  not  divide  our  profits  with  you  drones  who  have 
done  nothing !" 

•<  Of  course  not!"  echoed  his  comrade,  t;  what  have 
you  people  as  took  nothing  to  do  with  our  money  ?" 

"  Fair  play !  fair  play !"  shouted  half  a  dozen,  "  we 
went  shares !" 

Here  there  was  a  quarrel  about  the  reward  expected 
for  the  capture  of  the  three  men,  who  were  bound  in 
one  corner  of  the  room,  listening  to  the  debate  of  which 
they  were  the  occasion.  Visions  horrific  of  the  dreaded 
masters  and  the  whipping-post,  rose  before  them,  and 
aided  by  what  was  passing,  banished  rest.  Jamie 
reverted  to  the  helpless  company  he  had  left  in  the 
mountains,  and  whom  he  had  fondly  hoped  to  lead  to 
the  free  country.  Now  that  glad  hope  was  extin- 
guished in  utter  night.  u  I  shall  never  see  them  more," 
murmured  he  ;  but  at  this  moment  the  thought  that  he 
should  meet  again  his  lone  suffering  mother  comforted 
him,  and  he  felt  willing  to  yield  his  hopes  and  wear 
again  the  yoke,  if  thus  he  might  soothe  her  sorrow. 

Again  rum  was  made  the  moderator  of  the  meeting, 
by  the  landlord,  and  at  length  the  men,  stupefied  by 
their  frequent  potations,  sank  one  by  one  to  oblivious 
sleep,  some  on  rows  of  chairs  and  some  beneath  the 
table.  Nos.  nine  and  ten  drank  less  freely  than  their 
K  13 


146  JAMIE      PARKER. 

associates,  and  when  all  except  themselves  and  the 
landlord  were  fast  asleep,  after  some  five  minutes  con- 
versation in  a  low  voice,  one  went  out  to  get  a  horse 
and  wagon  in  readiness,  while  the  other  bribed  the  land- 
lord's favor  by  the  promise  of  a  share  in  the  prize-money. 
They  then  prepared  the  captives  to  depart. 

Ere  the  sun  arose  they  were  far  on  the  road  to  Rich- 
mond, and  before  the  sun  set  they  had  delivered  to  the 
master  the  three  captives,  and  received  their  reward, 
(amounting  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,)  for  their 
services  as  faithful  hounds !  Farewell  to  thy  fair  pros- 
pects of  freedom,  poor  Jamie,  again  in  the  clutches  of 
the  merciless  slave-buyer! 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"  Twenty-nine  hundred  thousand  slaves 

Within  this  free  and  happy  land, 
Are  hastening  to  their  early  graves, 
Groaning  beneath  the  oppressor's  hand. 

Man,  in  his  majesty  and  power, 

Woman,  with  tenderest  sympathies, 
Children,  beneath  the  lash  must  cower, 

Till  rent  are  Nature's  dearest  ties." 

Solicitude  in  the  cave  for  Jamie.  Tray's  anxiety.  Ella  is  seized  with  a  rag- 
ing fever.  Archy's  visit.  He  returns  for  medicine.  Encounters  the  patrol. 
Archy  and  Edy  at  the  cave.  Ella  dies. 

AFTER,  the  departure  of  old  Archy,  few  words  were 
spoken  by  the  inmates  of  the  cave,  for  some  time. 
Care  and  solicitude  might  have  been  traced  on  their 
countenances  as  they  were  anxiously  thinking  of  Jamie. 
After  a  pause  of  some  moments,  during  which  nothing 
within  the  cave  was  heard,  save  the  disturbed  breathing 
of  sleeping  Ella,  Gumfrey  said, 

"  I  make  sure  that  Jamie  has  been  taken !" 

"  Oh  no  !"  said  Tray,  "  no.  no !" 

"  He  '11  be  here  right  smart  soon,"  added  Kitt. 

Nevertheless,  Tray  and  Kitt  had  just  as  many  fears 
as  Gumfrey,  but  they  felt  unwilling  to  acknowledge 
them,  and  as  the  night  wore  slowly  away,  could  not 
sleep  for  thinking  of  him.  At  length  Gumfrey  and 


148  JAMIEPARKEE. 

Kitt  nestled  under  the  wing  of  sleep,  and  Tray,  to 
relieve  his  oppressed  feelings,  stole  out  into  the  moon- 
light, and  wandered  down  the  mountain  side,  if  per- 
chance he  might  thus  hasten  the  coming  of  him  he  so 
longed  to  see.  The  restive  torrent  bounded  down  the 
rugged  steep,  with  its  ever  deep  thunder  tones  untamed 
by  the  mild  moon-beams,  whose  silvery  sheen  fell  in 
glory  on  its  waters.  Like  a  foaming  war  steed,  down, 
down  it  rushes,  nor  rests  till  it  reaches  the  peaceful  lake. 
Tray,  as  he  gazed  at  the  mountain  scenery,  felt  his  soul 
kindling  anew  with  the  love  of  freedom ;  for  who  that 
hath  breathed  the  mountain  air,  would  not  be  free? 
Who  that  hath  seen  the  cataract's  wild  bound,  can  be  a 
sluggish  thing,  and  fawn  at  the  tyrant's  feet  ? 

Tray  reached  the  shore  of  the  placid  pool,  and  gazed 
at  its  glossy  surface  glittering  with  the  filtering  of  moon- 
beams through  the  leaves.  The  youth  leaning  against 
an  oak,  whose  over-reaching  boughs  attempted  to  grasp 
the  whole  forest,  longingly  looked  into  the  dense  foliage, 
that  hid  the  path  by  which  his  brother  was  to  return. 
Once  and  again  did  he  start  with  a  cry  of  joy,  for  he 
thought  the  stirring  of  the  leaves  was  Jamie's  wary 
tread.  Morning  light  came,  and  yet  Tray  lingered. 
How  could  he  return  until  his  brother  came  ?  The 
broad  day  became  softened  by  shadows,  and  yet  he  was 


THEPUGITIVE.  149 

alone.  Hope  and  fear  had  held  alternate  possession  of 
his  heart,  but  now  the  latter  gained  the  ascendency, 
and  with  slow  and  reluctant  steps  he  sought  the  cave. 

During  his  absence,  Ella's  sleep  had  been  disturbed 
by  frightful  fever  dreams,  and  often  did  she  call  for 
Jamie,  to  whom,  as  he  was  the  first  that  showed  her 
kindness,  she  was  strongly  attached.  Kitt  awoke  and 
sought  to  soothe  her,  and  at  last  succeeding,  she  slept 
again  until  the  return  of  Trajr,  when  she  became  rest- 
less, and  moaned  as  if  in  distress. 

"  Ella,  Ella  !"  said  Tray,  but  she  did  not  answer ;  he 
took  her  hand,  it  was  hot  with  fever.  Then  with  the 
little  mug,  left  by  old  Archy,  he  brought  water  from 
the  torrent,  and  tried  to  arouse  and  persuade  her  to 
drink.  On  awakening,  she  first  asked  for  Jamie,  and 
being  told  that  he  had  not  come,  she  sank  back  on  her 
pillow  of  dried  leaves,  and  moaned  most  piteously. 

"  Oh,  Ella !  please  drink,  Ella  !»  said  Tray. 

"When  Jamie  done  come,"  said  she,  "Ella  can't 
drink  till  Jamie  done  come."  It  seemed  that  in  the 
wild  vagary  of  her  imagination,  she  thought  that  her 
drinking  would  prevent  his  coming  ;  so,  thirsting  as  she 
was,  she  would  not  be  persuaded  to  drink  till  Jamie 
"done  come." 

The  sun  arose.  Ella  was  no  better,  and  Jamie  came 
13* 


150  JAMIE     PARKER 

not.  That  was  a  sorrowful  morning  to  the  stricken 
dwellers  in  the  bosom  of  that  mountain.  They  were 
too  sad  to  taste  the  simple  meal  left  them  by  kind 
Archy.  As  the  day  grew  older,  the  fever  raged  more 
uncontrolled  in  Ella's  system,  and  she  raved  in  her  de- 
lirium. There  was  no  one  that  could  relieve  her,  by 
giving  her  a  healing  draught ;  no  one  to  bathe  her  tem- 
ples, and  cool  down  the  furnace-heat  that  was  consum- 
ing her — no  one ;  but  she  restlessly  tossed  on  the  rocky 
floor,  so  scantily  spread  with  leaves,  while  grief  and 
dismay  took  possession  of  the  inmates  of  the  cavern, 
who  found  themselves  unable  to  relieve  her.  Noon 
came,  but  not  Jamie.  Tray  became  desperate,  for 
Ella's  fever  made  his  presence  most  necessary.  Agon- 
ized with  suspense,  again  he  wandered  out  of  the  cave. 
The  day  was  lovely,  but  it  brought  no  joy  to  his  heart. 
He  knew  that  unless  some  aid  could  be  had  for  Ella, 
she  must  die  ;  die  in  that  lone  mountain  cave,  far  from 
the  abodes  of  men.  "  But  that  would  be  better," 
thought  he,  "  than  to  go  back  to  slavery,  for  if  she  dies 
she  will  be  free."  In  his  solicitude,  he  remembered 
that  he  had  heard  of  the  healing  virtues  of  certain 
leaves  ;  so  he  made  search  for  them,  and  returning  to 
the  rocky  chamber,  placed  them  on  the  foot  of  the 
fevered  child,  which  soon  had  the  effect  of  soothing  her 


THE     FUGITIVE.  151 

to  sleep.  The  hours  crept  slowly  on.  The  slave  exiles 
spoke  only  in  whispers,  and  moved  gently,  lest  the 
sleeper  should  awake;  and  although  she  moaned  in 
her  sick  dreams,  yet  it  was  a  peaceful  sound  compared 
with  the  raging  of  the  morning.  It  was  time  to  light 
the  pine-knot,  yet  Jamie  did  not  come.  Anxious  sus- 
pense and  fearful  imaginings  of  his  fate,  served  to  fill 
up  and  lengthen  out  the  time,  until  Archy  caine,  as 
usual,  with  his  staff  and  Carlo.  Then  the  watchers 
by  the  sick  child  poured  their  sorrows  into  his  ear. 
He  looked  aghast,  and  raised  his  hands  in  fear  and 
astonishment  at  the  recital. 

lt  It  must  be  so,"  said  he  at  length,  sorrowfully,  "  our 
Jamie  is  a  slave  again." 

They  received  this  declaration,  of  which  his  fears 
had  often  told  him,  in  silent  agony.  Kitt  wept  aloud, 
while  Gumfrey  showed,  by  every  look  and  movement, 
that  his  heart  groaned  for  Jamie,  although  he  was  no 
kin  to  him. 

Old  Archy  took  Ella  in  his  arms  and  gently  awoke 
her  ;  she  was  in  a  partial  stupor,  but,  after  some  time, 
said  feebly,  K I  glad  you  is  come,  Jamie."  She  now 
drank  of  the  pure  mountain  stream  offered  her,  and 
slept  again — the  fever  stupefied  her.  Archy  marked 
her  bounding  pulse,  listened  to  her  troubled  breathing 


152  JAMIE     PARKER 

for  a  few  moments,  and  then,  with  a  doubtful  shake  of 
the  head,  directed  all  to  go  without  and  gather  more 
leaves  and  moss,  that  he  might  make  a  softer  couch 
for  her,  by  spreading  over  them  the  old  clothes  which 
he  had  brought.  In  a  few  moments  Ella  was  laid  on 
a  comfortable  bed,  and  Archy  said,  "  Children.  I  must 
now  go  to  my  cabin,  and  try  to  get  something  for  the 
poor  child  to  take,  else  she  will  die.  Do  not  forget  the 
supper  that  I  brought  for  you,  and  you  can  find  some 
berries,  down  the  valley  beyond  the  lake,  to  eat  with 
your  pones  to-morrow.  I  '11  try  to  come  back  to-night, 
but  if  I  do  not,  keep  the  leaves  on  her  feet  to  draw  the 
fever  from  her  head  like,  give  her  just  as  much  water 
as  she  wants,  and  make  no  noise." 

He  then  took  his  staff,  (at  which  signal  Carlo  started 
up,)  and  as  he  went  through  the  bushes  that  hid  the 
cave's  entrance,  said  to  Tray,  "  You  must  bend  these 
bushes  back,  so  as  to  give  the  air  to  the  child  ;  it 's  a 
great  medicine  for  her." 

And  while  the  good  old  man  went  on  his  way, 
slowly  toiling  down  into  the  valley,  his  many  years 
impeding  his  progress,  Tray  followed  his  directions  that 
Ella  might  have  the  benefit  of  the  pure  mountain  air. 

It  happened  on  this  night,  that  certain  mischief 
brewers,  dignified  with  the  name  of  patrol,  for  the  vvuut 


THE      FUGITIVE,  153 

of  something  else  to  do,  knocked  at  Archy's  cabin,  to 
"talk"  with  him,  as  they  said.  Old  Archy's  memory 
extended  far  back,  through  a  space  of  many  years  ;  and 
it,  was  a  rich  treat  for  all  that  knew  him,  to  hear  him 
tell  of  the  olden  time.  Thus  his  cabin  was  a  great 
resort  of  the  people  of  the  neighborhood,  of  an  evening, 
to  listen  to  stories  of  their  ancestors,  whom  the  old  man 
did  not  scruple  to  say,  were  far  better  than  their  chil- 
dren, much  to  the  amusement  of  his  hearers,  who,  in 
their  simplicity,  knowingly  winked  to  each  other,  and 
attributed  this  impression  either  to  old  Archy's  eccen- 
tricity, or  to  the  infirmities  of  age. 

As  it  was  not  the  night  of  duty,  the  visit  of  the 
patrol,  (only  three  came.)  was  purely  gratuitous.  To 
their  knock  no  response  was  made,  for  Edy  was  some- 
what deaf,  and,  besides,  sound  asleep. 

The  dignitaries,  after  knocking  again,  consulted  to- 
gether about  breaking  open  the  door,  to  see  if  the  old 
story-teller  were  indeed  dead  in  his  bed  ;  for  such  was 
their  confidence  in  his  loyalty  to  his  master,  that  they 
did  not  once,  by  a  temporary  suspicion,  accuse  him  of 
doing  any  thing  unbecoming  a  good  subject.  They 
concluded,  however,  to  wait  awhile,  and  take  a  turn  by 
the  quarters:  for,  said  one,  "Who  knows  but  the  old 
man  may  be  at  his  prayers  ?" 


154  JAMIE      PAE.KER 

Laughing  at  this  joke,  they  moved  off  with  marvel- 
lous delicacy,  to  give  the  story-teller  an  opportunity  to 
get  through  praying.  Old  Archy  was  a  great  favorite 
in  the  vicinity,  and  much  respected  for  his  being  such  a 
chronicler  of  the  by-gone  days,  or  he  would  not  have 
had  his  cabin  treated  so  well  by  the  rude  patrol  on  this 
same  evening. 

Old  Archy,  with  staff  and  dog,  continued  to  thread 
the  forest,  in  the  direction  of  home ;  and  just  as  the 
patrol,  in  their  promenade,  were  returning  to  the  cabin, 
thinking  he  must  be  ready  to  receive  them,  he  emerged 
from  the  woods,  greatly  to  their  astonishment. 

"  Halloa !  there  you,  Archy !  praying  in  the  woods, 
eh  ?"  said  the  foremost  of  the  three. 

The  startled  man  breathed  a  prayer  to  Heaven,  ap- 
prehensive for  the  result  of  this  meeting. 

"  Halloa !"  shouted  another ;  "  what  are  you  doing 
in  the  woods  to-night?" 

Archy  did  not  reply,  for  the  simple  reason  that  he 
knew  not  what  to  say. 

"  Say,  old  man,"  said  another,  familiarly  patting  him 
on  the  shoulder,  "  say,  what  goblins  do  you  find  to  talk 
with  in  the  woods  ?  The  ghosts  of  the  grandfathers,  eh  ?" 

At  this,  Archy,  profiting  by  the  hint,  put  his  finger 
on  his  lip  with  a  look  of  great  mystery. 


THE     FUGITIVE.  155 

"  Tip  and  Ty,"  exclaimed  one  of  them,  out  of  patience; 
"  tell  us  why  you  are  out  to-night  without  a  '  pass,'  or 
we  will  take  you  up  to  Lash,  the  overseer." 

"  No,  indeed,  the  old  man  shall  not  be  hurt,"  said  the 
others. 

"  Why  do  I  want  a  '  pass,'  when  I  know  every  pass 
of  the  woods  ?"  asked  Archy,  pleasantly. 

"  Ha,  ha  !  good,  good !  now  let  us  to  your  cabin,  and 
weave  us  a  good  web  of  the  olden  time,  and  we  will  let 
you  pass  this  time,"  said  one. 

Thus  they  went  on,  familiarly  chatting  and  joking 
at  the  old  man's  witticisms,  for  his  reputation  was  so 
well  established  in  this  line,  that  he  was  known  far 
and  near,  as  "  the  Joker ;"  and  some  of  his  hearers  re- 
tailed his  sayings  as  their  own  manufacture. 

Archy  and  his  guests  entered  the  cabin.  And  when 
he  had  made  his  fire  look  inviting,  for  the  night  was 
chilly,  rolling  three  log  seats  near  it  for  his  guests,  he 
took  a  fourth,  and  began  to  make  himself  agreeable  to 
his  unwelcome  visitors,  in  the  place  of  providing  some- 
thing for  the  relief  of  poor  Ella,  which  his  kind  heart 
so  yearned  to  do.  He  went  back,  in  thought,  to  years 
long  passed,  and  tasked  himself  to  entertain  his  audi- 
tors, for  every  thing  was  at  stake.  It  was  hard,  for 
his  heart  and  sympathies  were  elsewhere  ;  but  he  sue- 


156  JAMIE     PARKER 

ceeded,  and  they  were  much  amused.  By  and  by,  one 
interrupted  him  to  ask  him  for  one  of  his  inimitable  ash- 
pones.  This  he  could  not  refuse,  although  he  had  re- 
served all  his  own  portion  of  meal  for  those  in  the  cave. 
He  knew  it  was  not  safe  to  do  otherwise  than  appear 
to  give  them  cheerfully  what  they  condescended  to 
ask  ;  so  the  dough  was  soon  prepared,  and  baking  in 
the  hot  embers,  while  the  poor  old  slave,  who  must 
do  the  bidding  of  his  torrnenters,  went  on  with  his  re- 
cital. 

At  last,  the  pones  were  baked,  and  dispatched  by  the 
selfish  patrol,  who  thought  immensely  more  of  their 
own  comfort  than  that  of  the  inmates  of  the  cabin,  who. 
in  their  noble-heartedness,  thought  more  of  their  poor 
brethren  in  the  forest  than  of  themselves. 

At  length  the  troublesome  guests  left,  but  then  it 
was  too  late  for  Archy  to  prepare  and  carry  the  med- 
icine to  Ella :  it  would  not  be  safe  to  go  to  the  forest 
in  the  morning,  for  the  people,  superintended  by  the 
overseer,  were  at  work  in  the  fields  adjoining,  and  he 
would  be  noticed.  Besides,  he  could  not  leave  his  work 
of  making  baskets  and  tying  seins  during  the  day;  so 
he  tried  to  get  a  little  rest,  and  slept  so  soundly  that  he 
did  not  wnke  until  Edy  had  their  simple  meal  prepared. 
He  then  arose  and  told  her  how  he  found  the  dwellers 


THE      FUGITIVE.  157 

in  the  cave.  Together  they  tried  to  devise  some  means 
of  getting  immediate  relief  for  the  sick  child. 

Sometimes  Archy  would  think  that  he  must  go  to  his 
master,  and  tell  the  tale  of  sorrow  of  the  beings  who 
had  committed  themselves  to  his  care ;  but  it  was  only 
because  he  was  pressed  for  expedients,  and  directly  he 
resisted  the  thought  as  madness,  being  the  most  effect- 
ual way  to  consign  them  again  to  slavery.  Edy  said, 
"  If  master  only  would  let  the  sick  child  be  here." 

As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  Archy  and  Edy.  taking  with 
them  all  the  little  comforts  they  could  muster,  set  forth 
on  their  errand  of  love 

Faithful  Carlo  was  by  their  side.  They  said  little, 
and  in  whispers,  for  Silence  and  Fear  were  sentineled 
on  their  lips.  It  was  a  sight  pleasing  to  Heaven  ;  those 
aged  people  toiling  for  the  needy  committed  to  their 
trust.  They  reach  the  cave  ;  and  are  not  too  late ;  no, 
not  too  late,  to  see  Ella  die !  Congestion  had  set  in  two 
hours  before,  and  now  was  raging  fearfully.  Old 
Archy  took  the  child  in  his  arms,  and  his  heart  bled 
when  he  saw  that  the  remedies  he  had  brought  could 
not  avail  at  this  late  hour. 

"  Oh !"  said  the  good  old  man ;  "  oh,  that  I  had 
come  sooner." 

Edy  and  Gumfrey  groaned ;  Tray  and  Kitt  wept  aloud. 
14 


158  J  A  M  1  E     P  A  R  K  E  II 

"  Poor  Ella !  poor  Ella !"  said  old  Archy,  soothingly ; 
but  she  knew  him  not,  as  she  raved  on.  The  disease, 
like  devouring  fire,  gained  strength,  and  was  rapidly 
consuming  the  life  of  the  child.  All  felt  that  she  must 
die,  and  in  deep  grief  watched  by  her  side.  *  *  * 

After  a  few  hours,  the  fever  having  nearly  accom- 
plished its  work,  seemed  to  abate,  and  Ella  had  a  lucid 
interval,  in  which,  although  she  could  not  speak,  yet 
she  looked  joyous,  as  if  indeed  she  were  going  home. 
The  hushing  of  her  disease  was  not  unlike  the  lan- 
guishing of  the  fierce  winds  at  sunset ;  calmly  and  se- 
renely, her  spirit  passed  away  Her  dying  smile  seemed 
to  speak  of  visions  of  angels,  of  her  Savior,  of  her 
heavenly  home. 

*  *  *  The  morrow's  night  had  come,  and  Ella's 
grave  was  ready.  It  was  a  few  rods  from  the  cave,  in 
a  grove  of  hollies,  overspread  with  the  fragrant  sweet- 
brier.  It  was  a  sweet  place  for  her  wearied  body  to 
rest  until  the  resurrection  morning.  The  voice  of  the 
torrent  was  ever  heard  there ;  and  the  grave  was  the 
abode  of  sweet  singing  birds.  Gumfrey  had  spent  the 
day  in  fashioning  the  grave.  He  lined  the  lonely  bed 
with  soft,  green  moss  ;  little  Ella  could  not  have  a 
coffin.  Tray  and  Kitt  gathered  many  wild  flowers  and 
evergreens,  and  laid  them  by  the  grave.  Old  Archy 


THE     FUGITIVE.  1 59 

came,  and  bore  the  little  child  to  the  place  of  burial. 
He  laid  her  gently  in  her  mossy  bed,  and  wept !  Tray 
and  Kitt  wept  as  they  hid  her  from  their  sight,  cover- 
ing her  with  flowers.  Gumfrey  wept  too,  as  he  placed 
the  evergreens  over  the  child.  Then  old  Archy  and 
the  brothers  returned  to  the  desolate  cave,  still  weep- 
ing, while  Gumfrey  remained  to  fill  the  grave  and  ar- 
range the  green  sods. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

"  O  Lord  God !  to  whom  vengeance  belongeth ; 
O  God!  to  whom  vengeance  belongeth,  show  thyself; 
Lift  up  thyself,  thou  Judge  of  the  earth ; 
Render  a  reward  to  the  proud." 

"  Lord  !  how  long  shall  the  wicked, 
How  long  shall  the  wicked  triumph  ? 
How  long  shall  they  utter  and  speak  hard  thing-*  t 
And  all  the  workers  of  iniquity  boast  themselves  7" 

"  They  slay  the  widow  and  the  stranger  ; 
And  murder  the  fatherless  ; 
Yet  they  say,  the  Lord  shall  not  see  it, 
Neith«r  shall  the  God  of  Jacob  regard  it." 

Jamie  in  jail.  Gripe's  good  bargain.  Jamie  again  a  field-hand.  Redfield. 
Overseer  Turk.  Jupe,  the  young  giant.  The  deed  of  blood.  Jupe  is 
taken.  Jinny's  grave.  Jamie  escapes.  George  Whitely.  Esq.  discovers 
that  overseer  Turk  is  dead.  Jupe's  sentence  and  execution. 

AFTER  a  summary  whipping-post  chastisement  in  the 
jail-yard,  Jamie  and  his  two  companions  were  incarcer- 
ated in  their  cells  for  one  week,  during  which  time 
their  master  continued  to  make  great  exertions  to  obtain 
the  remainder  of  the  runaways,  and  to  sell  those  re- 
captured, to  the  best  advantage.  Only  two  more  of  the 
eleven  were  taken  during  this  week,  as  they  had 
escaped  to  the  mountain. 

Gripe  glowingly  represented  his  goods  to  be  some 
better  than  any  others  in  the  market.  Saying  nothing 
about  their  propensity  to  abscond,  he  succeeded  in 


THE     FUGITIVE.  161 

making  bargains  entirely  to  his  own  satisfaction,  as  he 
obtained  $1200  for  Jamie,  and  about  twice  this  sum  for 
the  other  four. 

The  buyer  of  Jamie  was  a  wealthy  planter  in  the 
vicinity  of  his  old  master,  (their  plantations  lying  ad- 
jacent,) and  the  four  were  bought  by  slaveholders  in 
the  vicinity  of  Richmond.  Smarting  with  the  marks 
of  the  lashes,  our  poor  brethren  suffered  keenly  all  that 
long  week  in  jail.  Glad  were  they  to  see  the  pure  light 
and  blue  sky  of  heaven  ;  to  breathe  freely  their  Father's 
air,  e'en  though  it  were  to  change  their  prison  for  thank- 
less, unpaid  toil  again.  We  turn  away  from  the  minute 
recital  of  each  day's  sorrow ;  how  the  heart  of  Jamie 
often  "  traveled  back"  to  the  little  band  in  the  moun- 
tain ;  how  it  bled  in  anguish,  that  that  which  he 
loved  more,  far  more  than  life,  should  be  wrested  from 
him  when  just  within  his  grasp. 

Again  was  Jamie  a  field-hand,  and  in  a  worse  state 
of  bondage  than  when  under  the  reign  of  Brazen.  Dif- 
ferent plantations  of  slaves  are  very  dissimilar,  owing 
somewhat  to  the  different  modes  of  government  estab- 
lished by  the  master  and  overseer.  Each  set  of  slaves 
are  kept  within  the  bounds  of  the  plantation  to  which 
they  belong,  as  much  ae  possible.  They  can  not  leave 
it  to  visit  a  relative  on  an  adjoining  plantation,  without 
L  14* 


162  JAMIE     PARKER 

a  written  passport  from  the  master  or  overseer.  This 
is  to  prevent  them  from  assembling  in  any  considerable 
numbers,  and  getting  up  insurrections.  Thus  associat- 
ing among  themselves,  they  acquire  peculiarities,  de- 
pending very  much,  as  we  have  said,  upon  their  treat- 
ment. The  Monmouth  plantation,  however,  was  much 
blessed  by  the  influence  of  old  Scipio.  His  prayers 
arose  to  heaven,  and  answers  came  down  like  gentle 
dew  into  the  hearts  of  his  people ;  they  were  much  bet- 
ter as  a  class  than  we  usually  find.  But  every  estate 
had  not  an  old  Scipio ;  neither  had  this  to  which  Jamie 
was  transplanted,  which  was  no  other  than  Redfield, 
in  the  hands  of  a  new  master,  with  a  new  set  of  ser- 
vants, torn  here  and  there,  all  over  the  state,  from  cabins 
whose  inmates  were  bleeding  by  the  wound  of  separa- 
tion. The  plantation  thus  manned  by  a  system,  in 
comparison  with  which  the  press-gang  is  a  benevolent 
affair,  had  the  greatest  possible  variety  of  characters, 
and  not  a  few  vicious  ones,  in  the  horse  sense  of  being 
ungovernable. 

The  overseer,  train  well  as  he  may,  finds  it  almost 
impossible  to  assimilate  such  heterogeneous  materials, 
for,  like  strange  oxen,  they  will  not  pull  alike  in  the 
yoke.  So,  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duty,  he 
deems  it  necessary  to  whip  the  poor  people,  till,  from 


THE    FUGITIVE.  1 63 

very  weariness,  he  is  impelled  to  desist.  Meanwhile, 
divers  of  them  escape  into  the  woods  bordering  on  the 
estate,  but  are  too  ignorant  and  dispirited  to  try  and  get 
any  further.  Of  the  many  runaways  reported  weekly 
by  the  Southern  papers,  few  get  far  from  the  localities 
with  which  they  are  acquainted.  Hunger,  fear,  and 
ignorance,  send  them  back  to  seek  a  shelter  beneath 
the  lash  that  drove  them  forth. 

It  was  not  uncommon  for  scenes  of  blood  to  transpire 
on  the  Redfield  estate.  Turk,  the  overseer,  was  unmer- 
ciful. His  principle  of  government  was,  for  the  slight- 
est offenses,  to  whip  until  he  was  tired,  and  then,  by 
way  of  refining  his  cruelty,  order  some  poor  slave  to  go 
on  with  the  dreadful  work,  and  if  he  abated  in  the  least 
before  he  had  leave,  there  were  Turk's  fearful  oaths 
and  threats  to  urge  him  on.  Turk  was  not  permitted 
to  continue  long  in  his  administration.  The  measure 
of  his  iniquities  was  soon  full,  and  he  went  to  his 
reward. 

One  morning,  the  overseer  whipped  a  lad  till  he  died. 
The  same  day,  the  people  being  at  work  gathering  corn, 
those  that  had  been  drilled,  of  whom  one  was  Jamie, 
were  in  the  same  row  with  the  foreman,  and  others  not 
so  available,  were  loitering  in  the  rear,  when  Turk  rode 
up  to  them  on  his  boasted  steed,  Wildfire,  and,  passing 


164  THE     FUGITIVE. 

by  those  that  were  doing  well,  came  to  the  listless 
ones.  Seeing  him  dismount,  as  he  approached  they 
tried  to  do  a  little  better ;  nevertheless,  he  gave  them 
each  a  cruel  .blow,  as  usual. 

But  who  is  that  loitering  by  himself  at  the  extremity 
of  the  field,  whose  task  is  scarcely  yet  begun  ?  Who  ? 
Why  that  is  Jupe,  the  Southampton  giant.  But  why 
seems  he  so  inert  and  useless  ?  One  would  think,  with 
such  a  frame  and  muscles,  he  might  gather  the  corn- 
field, nor  think  of  fatigue. 

There  are  reasons  sufficient  why  he  is  so  cast  down. 
He  has  a  strong  arm,  but  a  stronger  heart,  and  has  been 
the  only  solace  of  his  widowed  mother,  whose  husband 
was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  famous  Southampton 
massacre,  and  expiated  his  crime — being  hung.  The 
life  of  the  mother  was  henceforth  bound  up  in  the  life 
of  the  child,  and  faithfully  they  toiled  for  their  master 
until  the  dreadful  moment  when  Jupe  was  sold.  He 
had  become  a  giant  in  stature ;  was  about  twenty 
years  old,  and  from  his  many  excellencies,  commanded 
a  high  price.  His  master  getting  pressed  for  money, 
found  the  temptation  of  $1500  too  good  an  offer  to  be 
resisted  in  exchange  for  his  favorite  slave,  and  accord- 
ingly sold  him  to  the  master  of  the  Redfield  estate. 

"Why  don't  you  work,  you  rascal?"  shouted  Turk, 


THE    FUGITIVE.  165 

going  up  to  him,  leading  Wildfire,  and  swinging  his 
official  weapon.  Jupe  looked  down  on  his  little  tor- 
mentor with  the  greatest  apparent  coolness  and  uncon- 
cern. This  was  too  much  to  be  borne ;  Turk  could  not 
be  looked  down  on  thus,  so  to  put  himself  on  an  equality 
as  to  height,  he  mounted  his  horse. 

"  Now  we  '11  see  who 's  head  man,"  said  he.  "  Work, 
work,  WORK  !"  continued  he,  at  the  same  time  giving 
the  slave  repeated  blows. 

The  giant  looked  up  to  heaven,  as  if  to  pray  for 
vengeance ;  his  usually  stolid  expression  of  countenance 
changed,  and  gave  indications  that  strong  passions 
were  working  within,  but  with  a  mighty  effort  he  did 
not  speak. 

"  Do  your  work,  will  you  ?"  shouted  the  'overseer,  still 
lashing  him  mercilessly. 

The  memory  of  the  morning's  cruel  scene  at  the 
whipping-post,  which  resulted  in  death,  the  long  train 
of  bloody  deeds,  and  the  wrongs  of  his  race,  rushed  upon 
him. 

"  Yes,"  said  he,  the  whole  of  his  mighty  spirit  rising, 
"yes,  I'll  do  my  work  T  and  with  one  powerful  swing 
of  his  sickle,  he  felled  the  overseer  lifeless  to  the  earth. 
He  was  not  long  in  mounting  the  horse  thus  left  with- 
out a  rider,  and  galloped  away  at  the  top  of  his  speed. 


166  JAMIE      PARKER 

Whither?  Was  it  to  intrench  himself  in  the  fastnesses 
of  the  forest  ?  No,  his  heart  was  on  his  lonely  moth- 
er's distant  cot,  and  thither  he  would  flee  and  secrete 
himself  in  her  neighborhood,  that  he  might  comfort  her 
still.  As  fast  as  Wildfire  would  carry  him,  he  fled, 
taking  the  county  road  that  led  through  the  Court 
House  Village,  in  the  direction  south.  He  had  little 
hope  that  he  should  be  able  to  get  through  this  hamlet 
without  being  apprehended,  but  it  seemed  the  only 
course  he  could  pursue,  and  in  the  desperation  of  the 
moment,  he  determined  to  try  the  experiment. 

It  was  the  hour  of  opening  the  mail,  and  a  little 
crowd  were  around  the  post-office,  when  the  horse  and 
rider  described,  came  in  sight. 

"  Wildfire,  as  I  live !"  exclaimed  Black  Brownson. 

"  Bless  me,"  said  Webster  Webb,  "  Turk's  Wildfire." 

"  And  Jupe,  the  giant,"  continued  another. 

"  Foul  play,  you  may  take  my  word  for  it,"  said  an- 
other. 

"  Stop  him,  stop  him  !"  shouted  they  all,  while  every 
thing  that  could  be  mustered  attempted  to  head  the 
furious  Wildfire.  Now  it  was  that  Jupe  showed  him- 
self a  giant.  With  one  hand  he  swept  the  crowd  away 
each  side  of  him,  and  with  the  other  urged  on  his  horse. 
On  dashed  Wildfire,  trampling  the  crowd,  and  pros- 


THE     FUGITIVE.  167 

pects  were  fair  for  the  slave's  escape,  when  three  pistol- 
balls  lodging  in  his  body  at  as  many  different  instants, 
rendered  him  utterly  helpless.  The  horse  was  ruined 
by  receiving  one  of  the  balls  designed  for  the  giant. 
The  Court  House  people  raised  a  shout,  and  captured 
Jupe  as  they  would  a  wild  beast,  and  caged  him  up  in 
the  jail,  till  his  master  could  be  consulted.  They  little 
imagined  what  he  had  done — that  he  had  killed  their 
jovial,  fun-loving  Turk  ;  for  such  was  the  character 
which  he  sustained  at  the  Court  House.  His  cruelty 
on  the  plantation  was  not  heeded  there  ;  Oh  no,  for  who 
was  there  to  testify  ?  Who,  of  all  the  helpless  beings 
under  his  sway,  would  dare  lisp  a  syllable  of  his  hard- 
hearted deeds  ? 

After  the  excitement  of  capturing  so  formidable  a 
runaway  had  subsided  in  a  measure,  the  people  dis- 
persed to  their  homes,  to  rehearse  the  particulars  to 
their  families,  as  they  leisurely  sipped  their  tea,  while 
they  held  up  the  captured  giant  as  an  example  to  their 
own  servants  in  waiting,  that  they,  and  those  to  whom 
they  would  communicate  the  news,  might  tremble  at 
the  thought  of  escaping. 

The  field  people  saw  the  fall  of  Turk,  and  they  re- 
joiced. And  as  Jupe  rode  off,  they  sent  up  one  long, 
low  shout  to  heaven.  It  was  a  slave  shout ;  it  did  not 


168  JAMIE     PARK  Ell 

burst  full  and  free  ;  but  nevertheless,  it  was  a  shout  of 
joy,  for  their  merciless  tormentor,  the  murderer  of  the 
morning,  was  no  more.  They  sympathized  too  much 
in  the  fate  of  their  comrade,  to  inform  "master"  of 
Turk's  death,  until  Jupe  could  have  a  chance  to  escape, 
and,  as  if  by  mutual  consent,  with  few  words  between 
them,  they  went  on  with  their  work,  and  when  twilight 
came,  went  to  the  quarters  as  usual.  They  said  little, 
for  the  horrid  events  of  the  day  had  awakened  a  fear  in 
their  hearts  of  something  yet  more  dreadful. 

Jamie,  unable  longer  to  endure  the  miseries  of  that 
blood-managed  estate,  set  out  again  for  freedom.  Hav- 
ing been  closely  watched  by  Turk,  he  had  been  unable 
to  visit  his  poor  mother,  much  as  his  heart  prompted  it. 
Now  that  the  overseer  was  dead,  and  it  was  dark, 
Jamie  stole  from  his  cabin,  and  proceeded  in  the  direc- 
tion of  his  old  master's  plantation.  He  was  soon  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  quarters.  He  lingered  at  a  distance 
until  the  light  was  out  in  Brazen's  house,  for  he 
dreaded  lest  his  eye  should  fall  upon  him.  As  soon  as 
he  thought  it  would  be  safe,  he  cautiously  crept  to  his 
mother's  hut,  by  a  course  least  likely  to  arouse  the  dog. 
There  was  no  light,  no  fire  in  his  old  home,  and  as  he 
looked  in  at  the  door,  his  heart  smote  him  with  the  fear 
that  his  poor  mother  might  have  gone  to  the  grave. 


THE    FUGITIVE.  169 

He  gently  called  her  by  name,  but  there  was  no  an- 
swer. "  Mother,"  said  he,  yet  louder ;  but,  she  did  not 
reply.  He  entered  and  searched  the  cabin,  but  she  was 
not  there.  Agonized  with  suspense,  the  worn  youth 
went  to  a  cabin  where  he  knew  he  should  meet  friends 
whom  he  could  trust.  Mary,  a  good,  clever  woman, 
lived  there,  and  Jamie  entered  her  door.  She  was  over- 
joyed to  see  him,  but  to  his  first  question  returned  no 
answer. 

"Where  is  my  mother?"  repeated  Jamie,  much  dis- 
tressed. 

Mary  had  not  the  heart  to  tell  him,  but  burst  into 
tears. 

"  Oh,  Mary,  tell  me  where  is  my  mother?"  continued 
he,  in  earnest  agony. 

"  She  is  happy,  Jamie,"  Mary  replied,  "  her  heart  done 
broke  in  half,  and  she  died,  poor  thing !" 

"  My  poor  mother,"  sobbed  Jamie,  and  good,  gentle 
Mary  wept  too.  By  little  and  little,  he  told  her  what 
had  befallen  him  since  first  sold,  and  how  he  longed  to 
return  to  the  mountain.  She  encouraged  him  to  go, 
and  insisted  on  his  taking  some  food  which  she  nicely 
tied  up  for  him ;  then,  as  moments  were  precious,  he 
took  his  leave.  He  felt,  however,  that  he  must  once 
more  visit  his  mother's  cabin,  and  search  for  that 
15 


170  JAMIE    PARKER 

treasure  which  old  Scipio  gave  him,  his  Bible.  He 
found  it  hid  in  the  loose  mud-plaster,  between  the  logs 
of  the  cabin,  where  he  usually  had  kept  it,  and  over- 
whelmed with  joy,  knelt  down  and  rendered  grateful 
thanks  to  "  our  Father"  for  permitting  him  again  to 
have  the  blessed  book.  Then,  after  shedding  tears  on 
poor  Jinny's  grave,  he  went  on  his  way.  When  morn- 
ing came  he  had  left  his  professed  master  quite  in  the 
rear,  being  far  on  his  road  to  the  rendezvous  in  the 
mountain.  During  the  day  he  lay  concealed,  but  by 
night  swiftly  sped  on  his  way. 

A  word  more  of  Redfield.  The  next  morning  after 
the  retribution  of  Turk,  all  hands,  minus  Jamie,  started 
early  for  the  field,  and  headed  by  the  foreman,  went  to 
work  as  usual,  although  the  dead  body  remained  where 
it  had  fallen.  The  desire  to  have  Jupe  gain  time,  and 
unwillingness  to  be  the  tale-bearer,  kept  the  whole  party 
from  making  any  movement  toward  giving  information 
to  the  master;  so  those  filthy  vultures,  the  Turkey 
Buzzards,  began  to  claim  the  body. 

Now  it  happened  that  on  this  very  morning,  the  mas- 
ter, George  Whitely,  Esq.,  leisurely  rode  to  the  Court 
House  Village,  to  chat  with  some  of  his  neighbors, 
whom  he  often  met  at  Webster  Webb's,  as  he  wished  to 
collect  the  last  news.  By  the  way,  the  messenger  who 


THE      FUGITIVE.  171 

was  dispatched  to  him  the  evening  before,  instead  of 
going  himself,  sent  word  by  another  whom  he  met,  and 
between  them  both,  the  planter  concerned  was  not  in- 
formed that  Jupe  was  in  custody.  Reaching  the  Court 
House,  he  heard  news  from  a  dozen  mouths  at  the 
same  instant,  which  caused  him  to  put  spurs  to  his 
horse  and  proceed  to  his  quarters,  to  learn  the  true  state 
of  things  from  overseer  Turk,  who,  by  the  way,  when 
living,  lived  all  by  himself,  having  three  servants  to 
keep  house  for  him.  These  servants  had  missed 
"  massa  Turk,"  but  supposed  him  to  be  engaged  in 
some  drunken  frolic  at  the  Court  House,  and  when 
"  great  master"  rode  up  and  asked  where  Turk  was, 
one  said,  "  Don't  know  indeed,  master." 

"  Bless  me  !  don 't  know  !  when  was  he  at  home  ?" 

" Please  to  believe  me*  master,  he  done  dined  to  home 
yesterday,  and  went  out  on  de  farm,  and  dat  's  de  lass  I 
seed  him,"  said  the  cook. 

"  Bless  me !"  ejaculated  the  master. 

"  Taint  probable  he  aint  at  de  Court  House  ?"  added 
Becky,  trying  the  experiment  of  giving  her  master  a 
hint  as  to  where  he  might  be  found. 

"  Nonsense !"  exclaimed  the  master,  who  then  went 

*  A  common  mede  of  expression  with  the  slave*  of  Virginia. 


172  JAMIE     PARKER 

directly  to  the  field  where  was  the  dead  body  of  the 
overseer. 

The  moment  the  laborers  (who  had  never  worked 
so  faithfully  a  morning  in  their  lives)  saw  master,  they 
appeared  still  more  interested  with  their  work,  but  dis- 
patched one  of  their  number  to  meet  the  much-dreaded, 
and  tell  him  of  the  death  of  the  overseer.  The  poor 
trembling  slave  went  to  meet  his  master,  and  when  he 
was  asked  why  some  one  of  them  did  not  bring  him 
word  directly,  he  replied, 

"  Please  to  believe  rne,  master,  could  not  stop  work." 
"  Fools !"  said  the  enraged  man,  "  I  '11  have  you  all 
whipped  within  an  inch  of  your  lives  !"  Saying  this  he 
rode  up  to  the  people,  and  after  inquiring  into  matters  a 
little,  he  found  that  Jamie,  his  most  valuable  slave,  the 
most  trusty  man  of  them  all,  was  missing.  Here  then 
was  an  additional  cause  of  trouble  to  the  proprietor  of 
the  ill-fated  estate.  After  a  storm  of  harsh  language, 
he  gave  directions  to  have  the  body  of  the  poor  over- 
seer carried  to  his  house,  and  the  decencies  of  burial  to 
be  given  it,  and  as  by  common  testimony  Jupe  was  said 
to  be  the  guilty  one,  he  proceeded  to  the  court  house. 
His  favorite  idea  was  to  keep  the  matter  hushed,  and 
save  Jupe  from  capital  punishment,  that  he  might  still 
reap  the  benefit  of  his  very  valuable  services ;  but  as 


THE     FUGITIVE.  173 

his  crime  was  known  by  all  the  plantation,  he  found  a 
difficulty  ;  for  if  he  forgave  Jupe,  where  would  insubor- 
dination and  murder  cease  1  He  decided  what  to  do, 
however,  when  he  learned  that  the  three  balls  which 
the  giant  had  received  in  his  shoulder  and  thigh,  would 
quite  disable  him.  He  decided  that  it  would  be  the 
best  economy  to  make  him  a  "  terror  to  evil-doers,"  by 
having  him  hung ! 

The  expectation  of  the  court  house  people  was  all  on 
tip-toe.  Having  slaves  to  labor  for  them,  they  had 
abundant  leisure  to  attend  to  what  most  villages  find  it 
necessary  to  attend  to,  in  some  shape,  that  is,  hearing 
and  telling  some  new  thing.  The  day  for  the  execution 
was  fixed  as  early  as  possible,  for  some  two  or  three 
suggested  that  it  was  unsafe  to  have  so  powerful  a 
man  confined  in  their  jail,  although  he  was  crippled  with 
balls.  "  Who  knows,"  said  they,  "  but  he  may  break 
jail  and  escape  to  the  North  ?" 

This  was  an  unanswerable  argument,  and  so,  without 
judge  or  jury,  save  that  every  man  acted  in  that 
capacity,  he  was  sentenced  to  be  hung  on  the  morrow. 

The  man  who  officiated  as  pastor  in  the  vicinity  was 
sent  to  Jupe's  cell,  found  him  ready  to  confess  his  crime 
and  penitently  pray  for  forgiveness  from  on  high.  The 
crime  was  a  momentary  impulse,  and  poor  Jupe  shud- 


174  JAMIE    PARKER 

dered  when  he  thought  what  he  had  done.  Grief  at 
being  torn  from  his  mother  had  unfitted  him  for  work, 
and  the  hard  usage  of  the  overseer  resulted  as  we  have 
seen.  We  would  turn  from  his  scaffold  and  death,  and 
from  the  cruel,  hard-hearted  curiosity  which  led  people, 
who  thought  they  were  civilized,  to  look  on  and  feast 
their  eyes  with  seeing  a  fellow-being  hung ! 

When  the  unfortunate  man  was  dead,  they  severed 
his  head  from  his  body,  and  fastened  it  on  the  top  of  a 
broken  Liberty  pole,  where  it  remained  until  every  ser- 
vant on  all  the  plantations  far  and  near,  had  heard  of 
the  fearful  end  of  him  who  dared  to  raise  his  hand 
against  an  overseer!  The  horrid  spectacle  was  well 
calculated  to  terrify  all  who  were  tempted  to  strike  for 
freedom,  and  all  who  saw  it  trembled  in  every  limb  and 
tried  to  crush  thoughts  of  getting  free. 

It  was  now  that  Mr.  Whitely,  being  fully  convinced 
that  Jamie,  so  highly  valued,  had  escaped,  sent  to  the 
Richmond  papers  the  advertisement  found  at  the  com- 
mencement of  our  narrative. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Jamie  returns  to  the  Cave.  The  fugitives  set  out  for  the  North.  Reach  a  free 
state.  The  good  Quaker.  Important  to  the  South.  Mr.  Whitely  write* 
to  a  Philadelphia  friend.  The  reply.  Conscientiousness. 

WE  have  thus  related  some  of  the  causes,  with 
attending  circumstances  and  events,  in  minute  detail, 
which  led  Jamie  to  figure  in  this  advertisement,  and 
now  the  "  point  of  sight"  is,  did  he  escape  ?  and  how  ? 
In  answering  this  question  faithfully,  we  can  not  omit 
to  notice  those  to  whom  Jamie  was  so  much  attached, 
left  in  the  mountain. 

After  Ella  died,  their  thoughts  were  turned  to  God  in 
their  sorrow.  Tray  had  some  just  ideas  of  the  Savior, 
and  of  heaven,  which  Jamie  had  taught  him  from  his 
Bible,  and  in  his  turn  he  instructed  Guinfrey  in  the 
things  of  religion.  Old  Archy  managed  to  visit  them 
often.  Besides,  he  found  time  to  "tote"  faggots  of 
wood  from  the  forest  for  his  master's  use,  who  paid  him 
with  food,  so  that  he  was  able  to  spare  all  that  he  drew 
on  "  allowance  day"  for  the  poor  exiles.  Night  after 
night  he  visited  them,  with  a  yearning  heart  for  Jamie's 
return,  until  he  reluctantly  gave  it  up,  and  as  he  did  so, 
told  the  cave-people  that  it  was  best  to  prepare  to  go  on 


176  JAM  IE      PARKER 

their  way,  as  there  was  danger  to  them  all  so  long1  as 
they  remained  there.  The  next  night  he  came  again, 
prepared  to  fit  them  off  Just  as  they  are  about  bidding 
each  other  adieu,  they  are  interrupted.  It  can  not  be 
Jamie, — yes,  it  is  even  so !  and  there  is  a  meeting  of 
rapture. 

But  "  where  is  Ella?"  asks  Jamie  for  his  little  sis- 
ter. "Oh  where  is  Ella?" 

"  Gone  !  gone !"  said  little  Kitt,  throwing  himself  into 
Jamie's  arms,  as  he  wept. 

"  Gone  ?"  inquired  Jamie. 

"  Gone  to  her  grave !"  said  old  Archy. 

"  Bless  the  Father !  she  is  free !"  said  Jamie,  bursting 
into  tears,  and  then,  as  by  one  impulse,  all  knelt  down 
and  prayed.  It  was  as  if  the  spirit  of  old  Scipio  inspired 
the  heart  of  Jamie,  when,  with  his  Bible  clasped,  he 
poured  out  his  full  soul  to  God.  The  prayer  was  ended, 
and  that  gentle  dove,  the  Comforter,  rested  upon  them, 
and  peace,  such  as  the  world  can  not  give  nor  take 
away,  was  given  to  the  little  band.  Old  Archy  went 
to  his  cot,  praising  God  for  his  goodness. 

With  the  morning  light,  Jamie  was  by  the  grave  of 
Ella,  that  sweet,  protected  spot.  Few  slave  children 
are  so  blessed  in  their  death  and  burial  as  was  little 
Ella.  Those  hollies  had  been  long  growing,  and  the 


THE    FUGITIVE.  177 

eglantine  long  twining  to  form  her  grave-bower.  Jamie 
wept  as  he  stood  by  her  lowly  bed,  but  they  were  not 
bitter  tears.  They  were  those  tears  of  joy  which  some- 
times mingled  in  the  cup  of  grief.  He  rejoiced  that  the 
huntsman  could  not  take  the  poor  fawn  from  its  safe 
refuge.  And  while  all  in  the  future  was  dim  and  un- 
certain, lighted  only  by  the  polar-star,  the  thought  that 
the  little  child  Ella  was  free  from  all  his  own  fearful 
strugglings,  was  a  soothing  thought  to  his  agitated 
heart. 

Another  day  passed,  and  with  the  darkness  came 
Archy  and  Edy,  for  the  last  time  to  meet  those  who 
had  so  deeply  engrossed  their  hearts  for  so  many  weeks. 
Their  simple  preparations  were  completed  early  in  the 
evening,  as  they  wished  to  press  on  as  far  as  possible 
under  the  wing  of  that  night.  Few  words  were  spoken, 
but  there  were  many  silent  prayers  and  unbidden  tears, 
and  with  hasty  adieus  and  Archy's  fervent  "  God  bless 
you !"  they  departed.  Archy  and  Edy  stood  without 
the  cave  a  moment,  watching  them  as  they  crossed  the 
torrent, — Jamie  with  his  Bible,  Tray  with  the  package 
of  food,  and  Gumfrey  assisting  Kitt.  They  then  went 
in  and  arranged  the  rocky  abode,  so  as  to  leave  it  ready 
for  the  reception  of  the  next  pilgrims  that  might  lodge 
there.  "  For,"  said  Archy,  «  I  has  a  persuadement 
M 


178  JAMIE      PARKER 

that  more  of  my  poor  slave  people  will  want  rest 
here !" 

Think  you  Archy  was  wrong  ? 

Carlo  was  ready,  when  they  had  put  things  in  the 
cave  to  rights,  to  follow  them  down  the  mountain,  and 
they  safely  reached  their  cabin,  grateful  for  the  preserv- 
ing care  of  "  our  Father." 

Meanwhile  the  fugitives  went  on,  guided  by  the 
bright  north  star.  During  this  night  they  kept  on  the 
mountain  ridge,  and  by  day  hid  themselves  in  the  thick 
cedars.  The  next  night  they  descended  and  groped 
on  through  the  tangled  underwood  which  obstructed 
their  way.  The  next  and  the  next  night  they  plodded 
on,  and  at  length  reached  Maryland,  that  has  so  much 
ado  to  defend  her  part  of  the  Bastile  walls.  Close 
hunted  were  they,  "  like  the  partridge  on  the  moun- 
tains," but  the  God  of  heaven  sent  out  his  angel  to 
guide  and  guard  them,  and  their  pursuers,  although  led 
on  by  u  evil  angels,"  were  baffled.  Their  supplies  of 
food  were  gone,  and,  as  often  before,  they  had  recourse 
to  the  hospitalities  of  Nature's  hand.  Many  a  time  by 
day  were  they  under  the  necessity  of  roaming  woods 
for  nuts  and  berries,  and  when  night  came,  with  what 
eagerness  did  they  look  to  the  heavens,  to  ascertain 
their  whereabouts  by  the  bright  star  of  freedom.  Often, 


THEFUGITIVE.  179 

too,  were  they  driven  by  extreme  hunger  to  visit  by 
night  the  corn-fields,  to  eat  of  the  corn.  Do  you  think 
it  was  stealing  ?  Think  you  that  the  slave  can  not 
justly  claim  a  portion  of  the  riches  of  the  South  on  the 
score  of  unpaid  wages?  When  the  master  and  the 
slave  settle  accounts,  who,  think  you,  will  be  the 
debtor  ?  One  night  more,  and  they  were  beyond  nomi- 
nal slave  territory  ;  but  is  it  consecrated  to  freedom  ?  Is 
the  slave  there  protected  from  his  pursuers  ?  "  Is  there 
an  acre,  or  an  inch  of  ground  within  the  limits  of  the 
great  American  Republic,  which  is  not  mortgaged  to 
slavery,"  so  far  as  it  is  in  the  power  of  our  laws  thus  to 
convey  it  away  ?  It  is  even  so ;  there  is  not  a  foot  of  our 
New  England  even,  that  boasts  of  her  learning,  liberty, 
and  religion,  where  the  enslaved  are  free!  "Not  a 
square  inch  on  Bunker  Hill,  or  any  other  hill,  nor  cleft, 
nor  crag,  nor  cavern,  in  her  mountain  sides,  nor  nook  in 
her  dells,  nor  lair  in  her  forests,  nor  a  hearth,  nor  a 
cabin  door,  which  doth  not  bear  the  bloody  endorsement 
of  slavery."  K  It  is  in  the  bond — the  bond  of  our  Union, 
ordained  to  establish  justice,  promote  the  general  wel- 
fare, and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to  ourselves  and 
posterity." 

Nevertheless,   Jamie   being   unacquainted  with   the 
extent  of  his  danger,  and  emboldened  as  he  was  by 


180  JAMIE    PARKER 

stern  necessity,  now  ventured  out  by  daylight  to  get 
food,  leaving  his  companions  secreted  in  the  woods. 
Kind  Providence  directed  him  to  the  house  of  a  Quaker, 
who  was  a  warm-hearted  friend  of  the  unfortunate  poor. 
The  good  old  Penn  welcomed  the  tremulous  youth 
who  came  to  him  for  aid ;  he  knew  that  dangers  were 
all  about  him,  and  his  noble  heart  was  touched  with 
the  desire  to  assist  him  in  his  struggles  to  reach  a  place 
of  safety. 

"  It  was  right  for  thee  to  leave  thy  master,"  said  he, 
as  he  listened  to  Jamie's  recital.  "  Thou  hast  no  right 
to  be  a  slave  !" 

Then,  as  he  saw  the  emaciated  being  before  him  had 
fasted  long,  he  gave  him  food,  clothed  him  well,  and 
made  up  a  package  for  his  brethren  in  the  woods ;  in 
short  was  the  "likewise"  of  the  good  Samaritan,  to 
those  whose  lot  has  been  all  their  lives  to  "  fall  among 
thieves,"  for  no  one  can  be  a  slave  unless  robbed  of  his 
liberty. 

"  Thee  must  beware,"  said  the  Quaker,  "  for  the 
blood-hounds  will  follow  thee ;"  and  as  he  saw  that 
Jamie  was  disposed  to  be  off  his  guard,  now  that  he 
was  out  of  the  slave  states,  he  read  to  him  the  follow- 
ing advertisement  from  a  Southern  paper. 


THE     FUGITIVE.  181 


IMPORTANT  TO  THE  SOUTH. 

F.  H.  Pett-'s,  native  of  Orange  Co.,  Va.,  being  located  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  in  the  practice  of  law,  announces  to  his  friends  and 
the  public  in  general,  that  he  has  been  engaged  as  counsel  and  advi- 
ser in  general  for  a  party  whose  business  it  is,  in  northern  cities,  to 
ARREST  AND  SECURE  RUNAWAY  SLAVES.  He  has  been  thus  engaged 
FOR  SEVERAL  YEARS,  and  as  the  act  of  Congress  alone  governs  now 
in  this  city,  in  business  of  this  sort,  which  renders  it  easy  for  recovery 
of  such  property,  he  invites  post-paid  communications  to  him,  in- 
closing a  fee  of  twenty  dollars,  in  each  case,  and  a  power  of  attorney 
merely  descriptive  of  the  party  absconded,  and  if  in  the  northern 
region,  he  or  she  will  soon  be  had. 

N.  B.  New  York  city  is  estimated  to  contain  five  thousand  run- 
away slaves.  F.  H.  PETTIS. 

After  fully  explaining  this  document,  the  Quaker 
gave  him  directions  what  course  to  pursue,  to  reach 
Philadelphia,  also  where  to  find  the  Vigilance  Com- 
mittee of  that  place,  who  would  -see  that  himself  and 
companions  were  safely  forwarded  to  New  York. 
Then,  while  the  tears  coursed  down  his  cheeks,  he  bade 
him  God-speed,  and  Jamie  sped  back  to  those  he  had 
left  in  the  woods. 

The  advertisement  with  which  our  narrative  com- 
mences is  a  specimen  of  the  anxiety  which  Geo. 
Whitely  felt  to  repossess  that  portion  of  his  valuable 
personal  estate,  vested  in  the  person  of  Jamie.  But  this 
was  not  a  solitary  effort ;  <;  fortunately,"  said  he,  "  I 
16 


182  JAMIE     PARKER 

have  an  efficient  friend  in  Philadelphia,  who  will,  may- 
hap, stop  the  thief,  if  he  should  seek  the  North."  He 
therefore  wrote  him  to  the  effect  that  he  wished  him  to 
watch  for,  and  apprehend  his  runaway  servant,  at  the 
same  time  minutely  describing  him,  by  sending  the  ad- 
vertisement— a  delicate  way  of  saying,  "  apprehend  him 
and  you  shall  share  the  reward !" 

Now  Mr. ,  to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed, 

knew  very  well  where  to  search  for  the  described  indi- 
vidual ;  so  keeping  a  good  look-out  in  that  quarter,  he 
recognized  Jamie  as  answering  the  description  sent  him 
by  his  friend  Mr.  Whitely.  At  this  he  was  greatly  re- 
joiced, and  still  more  so  when  he  found  that  Jamie  was 
accompanied  by  three  others  !  The  manner  in  which 
he  arrested  them  precluded  all  resistance,  and  too.  just 
as  they  were  entering  that  city,  which  has  to  such  a 
fearful  extent  proved  herself  the  bulwark  of  slavery. 
And  moreover,  kind  reader,  we  think  in  the  circumstan- 
ces he  did  quite  right.  He  arrested  them  when  they 
were  on  the  very  threshold  of  freedom ;  and  as  most  peo- 
ple friendly  to  the  southern  "  institution"  would  have 
done,  did  he  place  them  in  a  hold  for  safe  keeping,  until 
he  could  remand  them  back  to  their  masters  and  claim 
the  reward  ?  No,  he  did  no  such  thing  ;  but  he  took 
them  to  his  snug  little  cottage,  fed  and  warmed  them, 


THE     FUGITIVE.  183 

and  then  took  them  to  the  Committee  of  Vigilance, 
with  their  hearts  warmed  with  gratitude  to  him  for  his 

kindness.     Mr. had  been  a  rich  man,  one  of  the 

most  thriving  merchants  of  Philadelphia  ;  but  losing  his 
property  when  the  United  States  Bank  was  broken  by 
sinking  $27,000,000  of  her  capital  at  the  South,  he  was 
under  the  necessity  of  exchanging  his  princely  dwell- 
ing for  one  far  humbler  in  description.  The  manner  in 
which  he  lost  his  property  led  him  to  open  his  eyes  to 
the  state  of  the  South.  The  reverses  of  his  fortune  had 
a  good  effect  upon  his  character,  the  sympathies  of  his 
heart  were  enlarged,  and  the  poor  and  oppressed  were 
entertained  there  as  never  before.  In  fine,  he  was  no 
longer  identified  in  feeling  with  the  slave  proprietor. 
All  this,  however,  was  unknown  to  Geo.  Whitely,  as 
the  two  friends  had  had  no  intercourse  for  several  years. 
After  helping  Jamie  to  escape,  by  intrusting  him  to  the 
committee  whose  business  it  is  to  forward  to  a  place  of 
safety  the  unfortunate  poor  that  apply  to  them  for  suc- 
cor, Mr. sat  down  and  wrote  the  following  let- 
ter to  his  old  college  friend. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Sept.  7th,  18—. 

MY  DEAR  WHITELY , — Your  favor  of  the  2nd  inst.  was  duly  re- 
ceived, and  I  have  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  that  one  part  of 
your  request  I  have  fulfilled  to  the  letter,  i.  e.,  that  which  related  to 
the  taking  of  Jamie.  After  receiving  yours  I  kept  close  watch  for 


184  JAMIE     PARKER 

three  days,  and  on  the  fourth,  found  not  only  Jamie,  but  three 
others,  all  fresh  from  bondage.  As  they  could  make  no  resistance, 
I  arrested  them  forthwith.  Instead  of  putting  them  in  jail  until  I 
could  forward  them  South,  I  invited  them  to  walk  home  with  me,  to 
"  be  warmed  and  filled."  (By  the  way,  you  must  know  that  I  lost 
all  but  a  pittance  in  the  United  States  Bank,  and  now  live  in  a  very 
plain  way.)  My  two  Marys,  wife  and  daughter,  heard  the  sorrows 
of  our  poor  guests,  and  with  their  eyes  set  in  tears  prepared  them 
supper.  Having  provided  them  with  the  clothing  that  they  needed, 
through  the  kindness  of  a  friend  who  proffered  his  purse  for  the  pur- 
pose, I  delivered  them  into  the  care  of  the  Committee  of  Vigilance, 
who  will  see  them  transported  to  New  York  and  put  in  charge  of  a, 
similar  association  there. 

Now  you  will  say  in  surprise  of  soul,  why  have  you  betrayed  the  trust 
I  reposed  in  you  ?  Why  was  this  waste  of  property  made  ?  Friend 
Whitely,  I  have  acted  conscientiously,  and  if  you  desire  it,  will  pay 
you  the  price  of  Jamie  whom  I  helped  to  escape.  I  will  do  it  cheer- 
fully, even  if  I  am  compelled  to  toil  it  out  by  the  labor  of  my  hands. 
I  have  adopted  the  sentiment  that  the  slave  has  a  better  claim  to 
himself  than  his  master  has,  and  I  do  fully  believe  that  he  has  a  per- 
fect right  to  his  freedom,  and  is  consequently  to  be  justified  in  run- 
ning away.  Indeed,  I  think  the  duty  he  owes  to  his  posterity,  im- 
peratively calls  on  him  to  break  the  thraldom  which  is  keeping  him 
and  his  race  low  and  stationary  in  the  scale  of  being. 

I  know  not,  my  dear  friend,  but  you  are  the  kindest  master  in  all 
the  South,  but  that  does  not  make  it  right  for  you  to  hold  them 
slaves;  it  does  not  justify  slavery.  Because  one  man  drinks  less 
deeply  than  another  we  can  not  say  that  intemperance  is  not  most 
pernicious,  and  that  teetotalism  is  not  its  only  remedy.  So  of 
slavery,  and  the  only  remedy  is  frcetotalism.  Colonization  and  all 
the  surface  modes  of  touching  the  matter,  are  to  slavery  just  what 
"  moderate  drinking"  is  to  the  temperance  cause ;  they  can  not  cure 
the  evil,  but  it  increases  in  spite  of  them. 

To  show  you  that  I  am  willing  to  practice  what  I  preach,  and 


THE     FUGITIVE.  185 

make  some  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  humanity,  I  will  pay  you  for 
Jamie. 

To  change  the  order  of  society,  abolish  slavery,  and  institute  the 
system  of  paid  labor,  will,  I  fear,  cost  the  rich  man  dear  ;  not  more 
so,  however,  than  the  breaking  of  a  bank  has  cost  me.  If  your  wife 
and  daughter  are  like  my  two  Marys,  by  hiring  a  little  domestic 
work  you  will  get  along  without  suffering,  at  least,  and  I  will  insure 
you  more  peace  of  mind  and  true  happiness  than  ever  you  possessed 
in  your  life. 

The  change  in  my  circumstances  has  led  me  to  reflect,  and  after 
much  thought  and  deliberation,  I  have  come  to  these  conclusions  re- 
specting slavery,  which  I  freely  transmit  to  you,  praying  that  Heaven 
may  give  you  to  see  your  position  in  its  bearings  on  those  around 
you.  I  remain  as  ever, 

Yours  truly, 


Geo.   Whitely,  Esq. 

The  above  letter  was  not  long  in  reaching  its  desti- 
nation, and  produced  very  much  the  same  effect  on  the 
proprietor  of  Redfield,  as  arguments  presented  to  distil- 
lers and  rumsellers  produce,  when  that  class  of  indi- 
viduals decide  to  be  of.  the  "  same  opinion  still,"  and 
intrench  themselves  behind  that  most  miserable  defense, 
"  If  I  do  not  manufacture  and  vend  ardent  spirits  some- 
body else  will !"  And  those  who  oppose  temperance 
from  interested  motives,  (when  hard  driven  to  get  argu- 
ments to  sustain  them,)  tack  round  and  get  the  Bible  to 
help  them,  by  wresting  it  of  course.  "  We  have  a  con- 
science," say  they,  "  and  we  would  not  be  worse  than 
16* 


186  JAMIE    PARKER. 

infidels,  £  for  he  that  provideth  not  for  his  own  house  is 
worse  than  an  infidel.'  Charity  begins  at  home.  We 
must  first  discharge  the  duties  we  owe  our  families 
before  we  think  of  others.''" 

The  slaveholder  said,  "  If  I  should  free  my  slaves  it 
would  be  of  no  earthly  use,  for  others  will  continue  to 
hold  property  in  men,  women  and  children,  just  as  they 
do  now.  Besides,  it  would  be  neither  benevolent  nor 
patriotic  to  set  them  free,  for  the  State  laws  expressly 
say  that  free  people  of  color  are  a  nuisance,  and  ten 
chances  to  one  they  would  be  kidnapped  and  sold 
again. 

In  fine,  the  medium  through  which  Mr.  Whitely 
viewed  things  was  most  unfortunate,  for  the  good  effect 
of  his  friend's  letter.  He  was  not  an  impartial  judge  in 
the  case,  inasmuch  as  his  interest  was  concerned. 
And  it  may  be  remarked  that  this  is  ever  true,  when  the 
pocket  separates  reason  and  conscience ;  poor  reason,  left 
in  the  dark,  comes  to  wrong  conclusions. 


CHAPTER  XXI.      • 

44  Pilgrims  and  wandereri, 

Hither  we  come  ; 
Where  the  free  dare  to  be— 
This  is  our  home !" 

The  New  York  Committee  of  Vigilance  welcome  the  flying  strangers. 
Arrive  in  Rochester.  John's  cottage.  Judy  and  Rose.  Meeting  of  the 
free  family.  Conclusion. 

VERY  happy  were  the  Committee  of  Vigilance  to 
assist  Jamie  and  his  companions  on  their  way.  Owing 
to  steam  they  were  soon  in  New  York.  There  they 
were  kindly  received  by  the  friends  of  the  poor  before 
referred  to.  But  how  shall  we  describe  the  emotions  of 
these  voluntary  exiles  from  slavery,  when  they  felt  their 
feet  planted  on  the  soil  of  freedom,  as  they  thought  New 
York ;  for  despite  the  warning  of  the  good  old  Quaker, 
Jamie  was  prone  to  forget  that  there  could  be  any  dan- 
ger so  far  from  his  old  prison.  All  would  fain  have 
thought  that  they  had  reached  the  end  of  their  toil- 
some journey,  and  that  this  was  the  free  land ;  but  no  ! 
they  were  told  by  those  that  make  it  a  business  to 
befriend  the  unfortunate,  that  they  were  not  safe  !  For 
this  is  not  a  free  country,  much  as  we  have  made  it  our 
boast.  As  one  has  said,  "  the  North  is  one  great  hunt- 


188  JAMIE     PARKER 

ing  park,  where  the  Southron  hunts  the  slave,  and  the 
South  has  been  and  is  soliciting  the  men  of  the  North 
to  enlist  and  form  themselves  into  packs  of  hounds,  that 
the  game  may  not  escape  !"  And  we  blush  when  we 
say  that  Northerners  there  are,  who  are  proud  to  be 
dogs  and  do  the  bidding  of  their  Southern  masters  ! 
Humiliating  as  is  the  thought,  this  whole  country,  every 
inch  of  it,  is  consecrated  to  slavery.  In  no  part  of  it, 
according  to  the  laws  of  the  land,  can  the  slave  be  free, 
and  every  where  throughout  its  limits,  is  the  freeman 
exposed  to  be  sold  into  helpless  bondage.  Time  would 
fail  us  to  tell  of  the  efforts  made  by  Mr.  Whitely's 
agent  in  New  York  to  recapture  the  "negro  man, 
Jamie  ;"  suffice  it  to  say,  it  was  only  by  the  eagle-eyed 
vigilance  of  those  to  whom  he  was  intrusted,  that  he 
escaped.  By  the  blessing  of  God  on  their  skillful  man- 
agement and  extraordinary  exertions,  Jamie,  his  three 
companions,  and  six  other  flying  ones,  were  put  in  care 

of  the  worthy  and  humane  Capt.  ,  of  packet 

boat  ,  on   the  Erie  Canal.     We  next   hear   of 

them  in  an  invoice  of  goods  received  by  a  respectable 
house  in  Rochester,  New  York,  wherein  they  are  men- 
tioned as.  "  TEN  BALES  OF  HUMANITY,  in  a  thriving  con- 
dition, late  from  three  plantations  in  Virginia  !" 


THE    FUGITIVE.  189 

It  is  a  cold  evening  in  October.  The  Canadian 
forest-trees  have  doffed  their  summer  plumes,  for  the 
Winter  King-  is  on  his  way.  Fair  Luna,  unmooring  her 
skiff  in  the  sky,  sails  boldly  in  its  blue  ocean-depths. 
And  she  quietly  gazeth  on  many  a  happy  home  beneath 
her,  and  on  many  a  cottage  of  the  rescued  from  the 
Southern  land. 

The  peaceful  cottage  of  John  is  lighted  as  usual  at 
this  hour,  and  a  cheerful  fire  is  burning  on  the  well- 
swept  hearth.  A  tea-kettle  sings  in  one  comer  of  the 
chimney,  while  staid  madam  puss  composedly  purrs  in 
the  other.  John  is  smoking  his  pipe  with  the  same  at- 
ease  air,  observable  in  other  free  people  who  now  and 
then  indulge  in  smoking.  Judy  and  Rose,  having 
cleared  away  the  supper  things,  are  seated  by  the  clean 
pine  table  on  which  two  candles  are  burning,  intently 
engaged  with  the  work  of  their  fingers.  Judy  is  sew- 
ing on  a  customer's  hat,  and  Rose  is  toeing  off  a  pair  of 
nice  lamb's  wool  stockings  for  her  father.  Now  and 
then  they  chat  a  little  respecting  their  plans  of  comfort 
for  the  winter ;  for  they  are  delighted  to  do  any  thing  to 
promote  the  happiness  of  their  father,  to  whom  they  are 
devotedly  attached.  The  little  cottage  has  its  flower 
garden,  and  had  you  been  there  in  summer-time,  you; 
would  have  seen  roses,  lilies,  pinks  and  four-o'clocks  in 


190  JAMIE     PARKER. 

profusion.  A  hop-vine,  having  wearied  itself  with 
clambering  over  the  cottage,  stops  and  dresses  its  clus- 
ters for  the  hand  of  the  gatherer.  In  summer  you 
would  have  seen  holly-hocks  standing  sentinels  in  the 
little  inclosure,  to  stop  all  such  intruders  as  humming- 
birds, butterflies,  and  busy-bees,  and  too,  a  sparkling  free 
stream  ever  bounding  by  with  its  cheerful  song. 

But  the  evening  of  which  we  were  speaking  goes  on, 
as  such  evenings  ever  do,  much  as  we  wish  they  would 
linger  and  let  us  enjoy  them  longer.  John  has  finished 
smoking  and  laid  by  his  pipe  on  the  shelf  over  the  fire- 
place, and  is  industriously  weaving  a  basket.  The 
cheerful  chit-chat  now  enlivens  the  domestic  circle. 
Judy  and  Rose,  often  pensive  and  sad,  thinking  of  the 
loved  ones  far  away,  are  quite  mirthful  from  an  irrepres- 
sible flow  of  good  spirits.  In  truth,  enjoying  such  a 
home,  laboring  for  their  father  and  themselves,  they 
have  far  more  cause  for  rejoicing,  than  when  toiling 
without  aim  or  object,  (save  it  were  to  escape  punish- 
ment,) unthanked  and  unpaid.  Once,  let  them  toil  from 
twilight  to  twilight,  and  not  one  of  their  "  kin"  was  the 
better  for  it;  and  now  they  can  take  care  of  themselves, 
and  be  comfortably  fed,  clothed,  sheltered  and  warmed, 
and  have  no  cause  of  sorrow  save  the  bondage  of  their 
race,  which  daily  calls  forth  their  prayers  and  tears. 


THE      FUGITIVE.  191 

There  is  a  knock  at  the  door  ;  but  it  excites  no  alarm, 
as  they  are  in  a  free  country,  and  Judy  rising,  takes  a 
light  to  go  to  the  door,  saying  Madam  N.'s  servant  must 
have  brought  her  more  work.  She  opens  the  door,  and 
the  light  falls  upon  four  of  her  poor  slave  people.  She 
does  not  recognize  her  three  brothers  ;  but  Jamie  spring- 
ing forward  and  clasping  her  in  his  arms,  exclaims, 

"Don't  you  know  me,  Judy?" 

The  bewildered  girl  can  not  reply,  but  Rose  and  her 
father  are  by  her  side,  and  comprehend  that  God  has  in 
truth  answered  their  prayers,  and  sent  their  loved  ones 
to  them. 

"  It  is,  it  is  my  boys  !"  said  John  with  checked  utter- 
ance, and  weeping  for  joy. 

"  Father  !  Father !"  said  little  Kitt,  springing  to  his 
arms. 

"  Father !  Father !"  said  Tray,  clasping  his  neck. 

Jamie,  Judy,  and  Rose  wept  for  joy  in  one  group,  while 
happy  John  and  his  two  youngest  born  formed  another. 
Gumfrey  stood  by,  looking  on,  and  taking  tears  out  of 
the  corners  of  his  eyes,  happier  than  when  he  witnessed 
the  meeting  in  the  cave,  for  he  feels  now  that  they  are 
a  -  kin"  to  him,  and  he  pours  the  feelings  of  his  heart 
into  the  same  channel.  O,  what  a  joyful  meeting ! 
Contrast  the  guilty  pleasures  and  gains  of  slavery  with 


192  JAMIE     PARKER. 

the  joys  of  that  one  interview,  and  how  contemptible 
are  they  in  the  comparison  !  We  now  leave  the  happy 
family  to  tell  the  thrilling  stories  of  their  sufferings, 
and  to  mingle  in  one  blessed  current  their  common  joys 
and  sorrows ;  yet  it  is  with  reluctance,  for  gladly  would 
we  follow  them  as  they  just  begin  to  live  in  a  free  state 
of  existence.  We  leave  them,  having  extricated  them- 
selves from  the  shackles  of  tyranny,  by  God's  blessing 
on  their  energy  and  enterprise,  their  buoyant  hearts 
overflowing  with  gratitude  to  Him  who  hath  given  them 
to  be  free. 


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